Code Geass: Two Steps Forward, One Step Backward
by Anguirus1955
Summary: This is the story all about how Lelouch Lamperouge's world got flip-turned upside down. Just take a minute and sit right there to read all about it in this retelling of Code Geass. Rating is subject to change as the story continues.
1. If I Had A Superpower

**CODE GEASS: Two Steps Forward, One Step Backward**

By Anguirus1955

Disclaimer: Code Geass is the intellectual property of Studio Sunrise and Bandai Entertainment.

So, here I am with my first Code Geass fan story. I'd like to get out of the way the fact that Code Geass is one of those shows that I both love and hate simultaneously. It's similar in many ways to Neon Genesis Evangelion in that regard, and it even shares a few similar plot threads, but overall I find the first half of Season 1 to be the most intriguing part of the show. R2 was... it was bigger and flashier, certainly, but it felt both too bloated and too rushed at times.

So... what did I like about Code Geass? I liked a lot of the characters... at least as they were portrayed during the first season. But fuck everyone from the second half of season 2 onwards, save perhaps Rakshata, Kallen, and C.C. Shirley was the only character who I genuinely felt sorry for when she died, and I didn't even really care much for her to begin with. But seriously, fuck Ohgi and Villetta and Tamaki and Tohdoh and... fuck them all. After episode 19 of R2, none of these characters deserved their happy endings. None of them... except Kallen and Jeremiah.

And the ending... holy shit was that the dumbest plan in the history of dumb plans for uniting the world together. Sure, it was dramatic and shit, but... yeah, that world peace is only going to last a few months or maybe a couple of years before everybody starts fighting again.

I also liked the music for the show, and the animation was phenomenal... most of the time. I like the Knightmare Frames in the early parts of the story, but after they started getting airborne, I think things kind of got a bit too... familiar for my taste. I'd seen that before. And the mecha that transform into fighter craft and whatnot... I can just watch _Macross_ or any _Gundam_ series for that kind of thing.

Code Geass was a show that started out with so much promise and a unique premise and then just spiraled into a train wreck somewhere in the middle. Although, it _did_ have an excellent soundtrack.

Well, with that rant out of the way, what am I going to do to make this story of mine stand out from the others? I will admit that reading various Geass fan fiction was what helped revive my interest in the show, with stories such as _Ice and Fire_ and _Gambit_ being among the best and most intriguing stories in my opinion. Well, I guess for starters, I will not be featuring as large a selection of Knightmares in this story as the canon show. I will be sticking with mostly non-flight units, and all flight-capable Knightmares will be rare or experimental types that don't stay too long.

Anyway, aside from that, the Knightmares that _are_ present in this story still have the same physical appearances that they do in canon, and they behave the same way as well, with a handful of exceptions as the story moves along. Sutherlands look like Sutherlands, Glasgows look like Glasgows, the Guren looks like the Guren, etc...

Also, all characters physically resemble their canon counterparts. I've watched both the original Japanese dub of Code Geass and the English dub that was aired on [adult swim], so when I write the characters speaking in Japanese, I imagine them using their original voices, while all dialogue spoken in English (ie most of the story) is imagined with them using the English dub voices. Although, for this story, Imagine C.C.'s English dub voice with a slight French accent to it, because in this version, C.C. is of French descent, although because she has lived for so long, she has an accent that is a combination of lots of different dialects, kind of like Connor MacLeod's "modern" accent in _Highlander_ (1986). Speaking of which, there will be various references to the _Highlander_ series in this story, although most references will be strictly related to the first movie, because... there should have been only one.

As for other changes, you'll have to see as the story moves along. I'd like to keep at least a few things surprising for the readers. For a few spoilers right here and now... Lelouch becomes _Zero_ , the gas canister in the truck doesn't hold any poison gas, and Kallen's truck driver doesn't survive to the end of the first chapter. Everything else is up in the air.

 **UPDATE AS OF 10/01/2018** : I have re-written then conversation with Lelouch and Rivalz regarding Lelouch's chess match.

To address the issue of certain characters' ages that will come up throughout the story, here are the following changes made from Canon.

Jeremiah Gottwald: Age 42 at start of story.

Marianne vi Britannia: Died at age 35.

Villetta Nu: Age 34 at start of story.

Kaname Ohgi: Age 31 at start of story.

Kaguya Sumeragi: Age 16 at start of story.

Euphemia li Britannia: Age 19 at start of story.

Gino Weinberg: Age 21 at start of story (He'll get introduced a few chapters after Narita).

All other characters remain their canon ages.

Also, to address the issue of certain events, here is a list of dates changed from canon.

Marianne's Assassination: Occurs in 2008 instead of 2010, to allow Lelouch and Nunnally to be in Japan for 2 years prior to the invasion.

As with all stories that I write, I listen to music while writing to help myself get into a groove or to help myself capture certain feelings while writing. It can help inspire me sometimes. Music that I listened to while writing this chapter include _Code Geass OST_ 1 - 2 (2006 - 2007) by Kotaro Nakagawa, and _Halo 2 Anniversary Original Soundtrack_ (2014) by Martin O'Donnell & Michael Salvatori with new recordings by Skywalker Sound. It is _never_ inappropriate to listen to music from _Halo 2_ or _Halo 2 Anniversary_.

Please note that listening to this music while reading the story is _**not**_ a requirement. I simply provide this as a little something extra to help enhance the reading experience, if you the readers so wish to do so. Most of this music can be found and heard on YouTube or any number of anime soundtrack websites.

Sudden and Suspicious Disclaimer: I also advocate the purchasing and obtaining of official soundtracks through legal means.

Music From _Code Geass OST 1 - 2_ (2006 - 2007): _Zero_ , _Prologue_ , _Strange Girl_ , _Cold Nobility_ , _Invisible Sound_ , _Outside Road_ , _Nightmare_ , _Devil Created_ , _First Signature_ , _Brain Game_ , _Elegant Force_ , _Air Surfing_ , _With You_ , _State of Emergency_.

Music From _Halo 2 Anniversary OST_ (2014): _Second Prelude_ , _Only a Star, Only the Sea_ , _Moon Over Mombasa_ , _Moon Over Mombasa Pt. 2_ , _Jeopardy_ , _Promise the Girl_ , _Africa Suite_ , _Builder's Legacy_ , _Impart_ , _Stewart, Shepherd, Lonely Soul_ , _Spartan's Regret_ , _Not A Number_.

 **Track Order Listing - All After Opening Theme And Before Ending Theme**

 **01**. _Prologue_ (Introduction crawl), **02**. _Africa Suite_ (Truck on the road), **03**. _Moon Over Mombasa_ (Truck moving again/chased by Army), **04**. _Air Surfing_ (Kallen versus Sutherlands) **05**. _No Extended_ (Shinjuku Massacre Begins), **06**. _Impart_ (Lelouch and Suzaku reunited/Trek to the subway), **07**. _Nightmare_ (Suzaku betrayed/Nagata's end), **08**. _Devil Created_ (The contract/Lelouch's first orders), **09**. _Spartan's Regret_ (Lelouch alone).

 **Music After Ending Theme**

 **10**. _Not A Number_.

* * *

 **OPENING THEME:** _ **Princes Of The Universe**_ **(by Queen)**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 01: If I Had A Superpower...**

* * *

 **INTRODUCTION**

 _ **In 55 B.C. Alwin I became the founder of the Imperial Family of Britannia, following strong and brutal resistance from local tribes in the British Isles agains the Romans.**_

 _ **The Britannians then initiated the Ascension Throne Britannia dating system, ushering in a new calender system that was otherwise nearly identical to the Gregorian Calendar used by the rest of Europe at the time.**_

 _ **As the centuries passed, Britannia continued growing, resisting fiercely against all invaders, before claiming territory in the continent of North America in the 1770's, where subterfuge by Britannian agents turned Benjamin Franklin against his fellow colonists as they fought against the British, causing General George Washington's Rebellion to fail.**_

 _ **Taking the British colonies for themselves and fending off the French Navy, North America was claimed by Britannia as the new homeland of the renamed Holy Empire of Britannia, with its capital city of Pendragon being built on the East Coast in Virginia.**_

 _ **In 1860, as the Empire expanded, West Pendragon was established in what was known as the state of California, as a secondary location for the Imperial Family. The first Pendragon was later renamed East Pendragon, although the Pendragon Imperial Palace remained unchanged in its designation.**_

 _ **As the Holy Empire of Britannia grew and expanded, it began setting its sights on other nations around the world to claim as its own, and with a Social Darwinist attitude held by the majority of population, Imperial Conquest of their neighbors was considered completely acceptable, with all conquered lands being known as Areas and their peoples known as Numbers in relation to that Area. Eventually, after the discovery of the valuable mineral known as Sakuradite, the Britannian war machine became more advanced than any other nation's military in the world, and when the island nation of Japan was discovered to have some of the largest Sakuradite deposits on the planet, the Britannian Empire launched an invasion of the country on August 10, in the year 2010 A.T.B.**_

 _ **Deploying the first mainline mechanized combat harness known as a Knightmare Frame, the Britannian Empire successfully captured 90 percent of the nation and its resources in under one month with only a few victories on the side of the Japanese, resulting in the death of Prime Minister Genbou Kururugi, who was reported to have committed suicide when faced with the option of surrendering to the Empire.**_

 _ **With the death of their leader, the nation of Japan surrendered to the Holy Empire of Britannia on September 09, 2010, and Japan became known as Area 11, with the nation's people stripped of their national identities, homes, and rights, just as all Areas had been before them...**_

* * *

 **The Tokyo Settlement, Area 11, Thursday, August 17, 2017 ATB**

Speeding down the highway near the Shinjuku Ghetto was a large white cargo truck. Inside the cabin of the truck were two individuals, a young red-headed female of mixed ethnicity and an older Japanese male who were both wearing delivery driver uniforms, sweating bullets as they constantly checked their mirrors for signs of trouble. Unfortunately for them, the military helicopters closing in from behind them were the very definition of trouble.

"Shit," the redhead, named Kallen Kozuki, swore as she saw the helicopters in pursuit of them and their stolen truck. "Nagata, if we take a right turn up ahead, we might be able to shake 'em," Kallen said as she saw a sign for a turn off that would lead into the Shinjuku Ghetto several miles up ahead. Takeshi Nagata shook his head in response.

"If we'd taken anything but that gas capsule, that might work, but... I don't think they'll back off this time," Nagata said worriedly. "Maybe, if Tamaki had actually _stuck_ to the damn plan, we wouldn't have been followed so easily!" Nagata spat in irritation.

Reaching down to her side, Kallen produced a small pistol. She quickly removed the magazine to inspect it before sliding it home and pulling back the top to chamber a round. She then checked the safety before holstering the gun under her stolen uniform. "As long as we can reach the others in time, we should be able to find a place to hide while they draw the Britannians' attention. If not, then I can use my pride and joy to divert attention away from you," she said.

"That's a big ' _if_ ' either way," Nagata retorted with a snort as he saw the increasing number of Britannian military vehicles approaching in the rear-view mirror.

* * *

 **Meanwhile, In A Casino Not Too Far Away...**

"And... checkmate," a 17 year-old young man with black hair and purple eyes wearing the standard uniform for students of Ashford Academy said with a smug grin on his face. Standing behind him, another 17 year-old young man with dark blue hair and the same uniform, Rivalz Cardemond, nodded his head in agreement, but only because he had actually bothered to pay attention to his friend's strategy this time around. The other teen, Lelouch Lamperouge, watched as the fat and balding nobleman he had played against sputtered incoherently before letting out a sigh of defeat.

"Fine! You win," the nobleman said reluctantly. He then reached down and pulled up a stack of bills to give to Lelouch. Lelouch grinned as he eagerly retrieved the money from the nobleman and handed two wads of the cash to Rivalz. He kept the rest for himself. He heard Rivalz gasp as he counted the money in his hands.

"This is more than I make at my part-time job in a _month_ ," Rivalz said excitedly. Lelouch nodded his head in agreement before slowly standing up and nodding his head at the nobleman. "Thank you for playing against me. I hope to see you again in the future," Lelouch said with a smirk. The nobleman paled as Lelouch and Rivalz made their way out of the room and into the hallway. When the door closed behind them, the nobleman began grumbling and swearing up a storm as he cursed his misfortune at having been bested so easily.

Outside in the hallway, Lelouch and Rivalz made their way across the carpeted floor of the establishment, passing by a handful of wall-mounted television sets broadcasting sports and the news. Lelouch stopped by one of them when he saw the saw the face of a blond man with blue eyes. It was Clovis la Britannia, the current Viceroy of Area 11. Lelouch frowned slightly at the sight of the man.

"Oh, by the way, Lelouch? Your time was eight minutes today," Rivalz said as he checked the stopwatch feature on his phone. "That's gotta be a new record for you," he added with a grin.

"Uh-huh," Lelouch said absentmindedly as he watched the news report on the TV. It appeared that some terrorists had attacked a Britannian base earlier in the day.

" _We apologize for the delay. Now His Royal Highness Prince Clovis, third prince of Britannia, will address the nation_ ," a female broadcaster said. Video feed of Clovis soon took up most of the screen as the blond-haired man stepped up to a series of hand-held microphones in what appeared to be some kind of ball room.

" _To all my imperial subjects! Including of course the many cooperative Elevens who choose to serve the empire of Britannia!_ " Clovis began in a proud and regal manner. " _Do you not see my pain? My heart was ripped from my chest only to be torn apart! The remnants are filled with rage and sadness! However, as ruler of Area 11, I will not tolerate terrorism of any kind! Because the battle we fight is a righteous one, a virtuous battle to protect the well-being of one and all! Now then, everyone! I would like you to join me in observance of the eight who died for justice, in the line of duty_."

Lelouch snorted at the man's hollow words.

" _And now a moment of silence_ ," the broadcaster said. Rivalz looked around at the numerous casino patrons who were holding their heads low and looking at the floor around them. Lelouch simply rolled his eyes and shook his head at the TV.

"Uh, hey, Buddy?" Rivalz asked quietly. "Aren't you gonna... y'know, join 'em?" he asked as he pointed to the numerous patrons around them.

Lelouch simply turned to look at Rivalz with an incredulous expression on his face with one raised eyebrow and a frown. "Hm... are _you_ gonna join them?" Lelouch then asked him quietly in return. Rivalz slumped his shoulders and sighed before shaking his head in response.

"Didn't think so," Lelouch muttered. "Besides, shedding tears won't bring anyone back to life," he added before gesturing for Rivalz to follow him as they slowly walked through the halls of the casino and avoided bumping into the numerous other patrons as the 'Moment of Silence' soon passed.

* * *

 **The New Tokyo Convention Hall...**

As Clovis walked away from the cameras, one camera operator and occasional reporter, Diethard Ried, carefully let out a sigh of disgust and shook his head as an attractive woman began to walk up to Clovis and shower him with praise. Ried snorted indignantly at the sight, silently wondering just what the hell he was doing with his life. _This is pathetic. The viceroy is pathetic. His whole reign is just a pathetic sham_ , Ried thought bitterly to himself as he looked around the ball room, deciding to ignore Clovis and the young lady speaking to him.

"Oh, that was _magnificent_ , Your Highness!" the bubbly and attractive woman said in adoration to Clovis. Clovis smiled at her in return. "One would never guess that you were attending a party while you said that," she added.

"Well, my dear, the viceroy _is_ the marquee actor of Area 11. I need to be capable of changing costumes quickly," Clovis said with a smirk.

"You're so self-confident," the woman said with a gleam in her eyes. Clovis noticed this and his smirk widened. The woman was very attractive, having a brown bob-cut hair style and sparkling teal eyes. She didn't have much cleavage on display, but she was at least a C-cup if Clovis's math was right. She was also only a few inches shorter than him, and her perfume was rather pleasant to the nose. Having her spend the night with him would result a _very_ pleasant evening for both of them if he played his cards right.

"It's all in the performance," Clovis said. "Since the media want a charismatic prince, I give them one." The woman nodded her head in agreement, lapping up every word he said.

Just as Clovis was about to play his next card, he felt his cell phone vibrate in its holster. Raising a gloved finger to the woman, Clovis reached down and quickly picked up the phone from its spot on his waist and flipped it open, as flip-phones were easier to use with gloves than touch-screen phones due to the presence of actual physical buttons on a flip phone. He looked at the caller ID and saw that General Bartley Asprius was calling him.

 _Why would he call my cell phone? What could be so urgent that he couldn't use more formal methods?_ Pressing the TALK button after a few seconds, Clovis held the phone up to his right ear. "Hello, Bartley," Clovis said, only slightly irritated by the interruption of his flirting.

" _Your Highness, we have a problem_ ," Bartley said urgently. Clovis could hear the panic in the man's voice. Clovis immediately sensed that something was wrong. What could cause a 57 year-old man with military experience like Bartley Asprius to panic? _Please don't let this be related to the terrorist attack_ , Clovis mentally pleaded.

"What sort of problem, General?" Clovis asked carefully. The woman standing next to him watched as Clovis's expression went from pleasant to wide-eyed and angry in less than twenty seconds. "Asprius, you _fool!_ " Clovis hissed angrily into the phone. He and Bartley were generally on well-enough terms that they both referred to each other by their first names, but when Clovis became cross, he made sure to use Bartley's last name to show his displeasure.

" _The police were informed that it's medical equipment, that's all. If we scramble the army there'll be a record_ ," Bartley said worriedly. Clovis groaned at the man's panic and forced himself to take a slow deep breath as he tried to calm himself. It wouldn't do to start panicking and make an ass out of himself while there were still reporters with cameras milling around.

"Deploy the Royal Guard instead. Use the Army solely to fortify and defend any escape routes that they may take. I want Knightmares sent in as well," Clovis said into the phone's receiver. The young lady began to wonder if she should worry.

" _I'll be waiting for you with the G-One Command Center_ ," Bartley said over the phone.

"I'm afraid you'll have to fly solo on this one, Bartley. I'm far too busy to join you, although I do expect a report on my desk tonight after you've cleaned up this mess. Is that understood?" Clovis spoke into the phone.

" _Y-Yes, Your Highness. I'll have the Royal Guard deployed at once. The route the terrorists were spotted on takes them near the Shinjuku Ghetto. I'll have some Foreign Legion soldiers deployed as well, just to increase our numbers if we have to go in there. I'll have the police barricade all entrances and exits to the ghetto should the terrorists manage to get inside_ ," Bartley replied over the phone.

"Look, Bartley, I don't care _how_ you get it done, so long as it _gets done_ ," Clovis snapped before glancing over the young woman looking at him curiously. "You have my permission to use any means you deem necessary to complete your objective. I have the utmost confidence in your abilities and I trust that you will have absolutely no need to call me again until you are finished. Good bye," Clovis said in a more restrained voice before hanging up the phone and putting it back in its holster.

He then held out a hand to the young lady in front of him. "I am... so terribly sorry that you had to witness my... ugly side," Clovis said. "I do feel so very ashamed for letting it out, and in front of a lovely woman such as yourself... I must find a way to make this up to you," he added with a seductive purr.

He briefly glanced down and noticed the woman closing the distance between her feet as her thighs started to move against one another. _Bingo_ , thought Clovis victoriously. He then looked up at her face and saw the desire in her eyes. He smiled at his success.

* * *

 **On the Highway Near the Shinjuku Ghetto...**

Sitting in the sidecar of Rivalz's motorcycle, Lelouch reclined with his safety helmet on and his seat belt clipped together as he smiled at the sensation of the wind racing across his face and clothes. It reminded him of his early years living at the Aries Villa back in Pendragon when he would run around with his sister Nunnally and half-sister Euphemia while pretending to be airplanes as his older half-sister Cornelia watched them from afar.

Lelouch then heard Rivalz's voice, breaking the reverie. "Huh?" Lelouch asked him as the boy slowed down the motorcycle. "Sorry, I didn't catch what you said," Lelouch apologized.

"I asked you why you started your match with moving the king. Every time I've played chess, moving the King around just makes me lose faster," Rivalz reiterated, prompting Lelouch to roll his eyes.

"Oh, that? I lured my opponent into a trap. I made an amateur move to make him think that wasn't worth taking seriously. That way, he'd underestimate me," Lelouch replied with a smirk.

Rivalz raised an eyebrow at him from under his helmet. "Huh. Maybe you should think about joining the military after you graduate. I'm sure you'd make a great General or something," Rivalz said to Lelouch earnestly as he took his eyes off the road to look at his friend.

Lelouch snickered in response. "Oh, please!" he exclaimed with a smile. "I have no desire to join the military," he added. "Besides, I don't- _ **RIVALZ, LOOK OUT!**_ " Lelouch suddenly screamed at the top of his lungs as he saw the humongous truck barreling towards him and Rivalz.

Rivalz had accidentally cut across the other side of the road while talking to Lelouch.

" _ **OH SHIT! OH SHIT! OH SHIT!**_ " Rivalz screamed as he swerved the motorcycle to avoid the truck. Rivalz saw his life flash before his very eyes, lamenting the fact that he still had yet to lose his virginity. " _I'm never gonna score!_ " Rivalz screamed regretfully as Lelouch shrieked at the top of his lungs in mortal terror.

The bike then sped out of control as the truck swerved to avoid them and went over a rail, crashing down a concrete embankment just a few feet away from the blacktop of another road, one that led to a tunnel that fed directly into the Shinjuku Ghetto several miles up ahead. Miraculously, the truck ended up _not_ tipping over onto its side, although its occupants had received severe whiplash as a result of the crash.

The bike, meanwhile, slammed into a safety rail, giving Lelouch and Rivalz whiplash as well, although not as severely as the truck occupants. As Lelouch and Rivalz both caught their breaths, the engine to the bike cut out and Rivalz began to panic. "Oh no!" Rivalz exclaimed. "I think the bike's dead! The crash must've broken something!" Rivalz lamented.

Lelouch soon took off his seat belt and crawled out of the sidecar after removing his helmet, his legs wobbling as he tried to stand up straight before he fell forward and caught himself. Taking a series of deep breaths, Lelouch forced himself to stand up straight, wincing as he tried turning his neck to take inventory of his surroundings. Nearby, several people walked out of a nearby store to take a look at the crash, both the bike and the truck.

"What happened!?" someone asked with concern.

"Those kids almost got splattered by a truck!" another person called out.

Lelouch ignored the crowd and stretched his limbs before slowly walking over to the broken safety rail that the truck had crashed through. He looked down and saw that the truck had a hatch on the top with a ladder on the side. _That's weird_ , Lelouch thought to himself before he held a hand up to his mouth.

"Hey! Are you okay in there!?" he called out to the driver of the vehicle. When no response was forthcoming, Lelouch frowned and started making his way down the steep incline, before losing his footing and rolling down to the bottom.

"Shit, Lelouch!" Rivalz called out as he leaned over the safety rail above. "What the hell are you doing!? Get back up here!" Rivalz called out to him as the other onlookers all made their way over to look down at the truck. Someone suggested that someone else call emergency services.

Letting out a groan, Lelouch forced himself up onto his knees before shakily standing upright and cautiously making his way over to the ladder on the side of the truck. It was a very big truck, Lelouch noted, almost too big for standard cargo shipping. It looked as though it was a specialized vehicle, espeically when he saw that the cabin was connected to the rest of the main box.

Climbing up the ladder, Lelouch slowly opened the hatch and peered inside the dark interior of the cargo box. He carefully crawled over and dropped inside. As he slowly, stood up, he noticed a large cylindrical canister in the corner of the hold. There were warning signs plastered all over it, and Lelouch quickly realized why this wasn't a normal shipping truck.

Meanwhile, inside the cabin, Kallen and Nagata had begun recovering from their whiplash. "Oh... son of a _bitch_ ," Kallen muttered as she looked around the cabin. She soon noticed Nagata holding a hand up to his head. He was bleeding from a cut he had sustained somehow.

"You're bleeding," Kallen said worriedly.

"No shit," Nagata wheezed out. "Check the container," he then said to her. "Make sure that thing didn't crack, or we're both dead," he added. Kallen nodded her head and made her way back to the first section of the truck's cargo hold.

Hearing footsteps, Lelouch carefully made his way over to the side of the canister. _Oh shit. Okay, so trying to be a good Samaritan may not have been the best decision_ , he thought to himself as he remembered the news report regarding a terrorist attack on the TV at the casino.

 _This truck was probably stolen by the terrorists... meaning they might kill me if they find me. How wonderful_ , he thought bitterly as he slowly peeked around the canister to see a young red-headed woman around his age inspecting the other side. _She... looks familiar. Have I seen her somewhere before?_

"The canister looks good!" she called out as she made her way back through the container and into the cabin. Turning to his left, Lelouch saw that there was a thin wall and door dividing the container into yet another section. He then felt a lurch as the truck started moving again, causing him to bump into the wall. He looked around for a means of escape, but soon realized that the only ladder was on the outside.

 _Of course_ , Lelouch thought bitterly to himself _. Why should ANYTHING go right at this point?_

He then carefully crawled around to listen in on the two people up in the front. He faintly recognized the voice of the female. Where had he encountered her before now?

"Kallen, can you get in touch with Ohgi on the radio? Find out if the others made it to the rendezvous point?" the driver asked.

 _Kallen? Red hair, around my age, mixed-race ethnicity, and a familiar voice? Wait a minute... Kallen Stadtfield!? That sick girl who can't run twenty feet without having a coughing fit and is always... missing... class? Okay, I guess I know why she's always missing her classes then_ , Lelouch thought to himself. _Unless she's got a twin sister with the same name that no one knows about... which is highly unlikely_ , he added mentally.

 _But... how does she get that hair of hers to stay in that shape? Judging by how it glistens in the light, I suspect she must use some kind of hair gel to get it into that ridiculous style. It reminds me of that girl from that weird old Japanese cartoon about holographic card games. What the hell was that show called? Actually, that's really not all that important right now_ , Lelouch thought to himself as the truck continued moving.

Outside on the road ahead of the truck, a Britannian military officer held out his hand as he stepped in front of a barricade blocking the tunnel that led to the ghetto. Behind him were several other officers armed with rifles. He then raised a megaphone up to his mouth. " **Halt! I said** _ **halt!**_ **Stop the vehicle! Surrender now and we will give you the chance to defend yourselves in court!** " he shouted. The vehicle kept moving towards him, and he began to feel panicky.

" **Stop and surrender at once! Surrender or we will use lethal force! We** _ **will**_ **shoot to kill!** " he shouted. The truck kept coming.

"Great," Nagata spat sarcastically as he kept his foot on the gas pedal. "That's the army up ahead."

"No shit. Just let me get to the back and I can clear ourselves an exit with my Glasgow," Kallen said as she stood up.

"Wait, maybe we should just... you know... use _it_ ," Nagata suggested. Kallen's eyes widened and her jaw dropped, appalled at Nagata's suggestion.

"Are you kidding!? That'll cause a blood bath!" she snapped at him with narrowed eyes. "I'll use my Glasgow to distract anyone pursuing us, and you just keep driving to the designated rendezvous point," Kallen growled at him. "And don't even _think_ about setting off that thing back there, because if I die and you somehow survive, my spirit will _haunt you_ for the rest of your life," she added with venom in her voice.

"Right," Nagata said, nodding his head shamefully. He then glanced down at the MP5 submachine gun taped to the floor of the cabin. "Alright... let's do this," Nagata said through gritted teeth as he pressed down on the pedal, speeding up the truck as Kallen made her way through the hold.

"You'd better move fast, Kallen," Nagata muttered as he barreled toward the barricade. "We'll be hitting the barricade in just a moment," Nagata added under his breath as the tunnel grew larger as the truck got closer to it. "Come on, buddy... get out of the way," Nagata muttered as he heard the Britannian officer continue shouting through the megaphone at the truck.

 _Great_ , Lelouch thought to himself as he watched Kallen march past the canister, keeping himself out of her line of sight as she disappeared into the next division of the truck. _I'll either get shot to death outside or I'll die in a crash. Today really is turning out to be the BEST DAY EVER_ , Lelouch thought to himself sarcastically.

" **I said halt! Surrender immediately or we will... w-we will...** _fuck it!_ " the officer swore fearfully as he dropped the megaphone and darted over to the side of the road. The other officers all scattered as the truck pushed through the barricade, smashing through the yellow-painted wood and rumbling down into the tunnel, heading for the Shinjuku Ghetto.

Several Knight Police, which were modified Glasgow Frames, and two Sutherland Knightmare Frames, soon made their way into the tunnel, having been already en route from an earlier order made by General Bartley. The Sutherlands bore the purple and red trim of the Blood Purist Faction of the Britannian military, which was comprised mostly of nobles who traced their lineage back to the original Britannians who colonized North America after Washington's Rebellion had failed. There were a handful of exceptions, but they were mostly zealots who went above and beyond to try proving themselves worthy of the other Purebloods, although in general the Purebloods themselves were also zealots in their own way.

* * *

 **G-1 Mobile Command Center #11-062, Moving Toward Shinjuku...**

"Shit!" General Bartley Asprius swore as he put the radio back in its holder. "If they enter the ghetto... we'll never be able to weed 'em out," he muttered, before a gleam entered his eyes. "Any means that I deem necessary? Well... I suppose it can't be helped," Bartley said with a smirk as he picked up the radio.

"Attention all forces, the terrorists are entering the Shinjuku Ghetto. They are carrying a dangerous chemical weapon and must be stopped at all costs. Use lethal force against all terrorists and suspected terrorists you encounter," Bartley said firmly. This, of course, translated roughly into "kill every Eleven you see." As far as the majority of his troops were concerned, this was absolutely fine. The few who didn't appreciate this carte blanche kill order kept their mouths shut, lest they find themselves killed by "stray" bullets and "crossfire" between their fellow soldiers and the terrorists.

"I want Foreign Legion soldiers to go in on foot first, to scout the area and search for terrorists in hard-to-reach locations," Bartley said. The Foreign Legion soldiers, being comprised entirely of Honorary Britannians, or Numbers who applied for Britannian citizenship, were armed only with knives, pistols, and occasionally submachine guns if their commanding officer deemed it necessary to arm them. This, of course, happened only once in a blue moon.

The Foreign Legion soldiers were also given darker colored uniforms than their mainline counterparts, with dark grey fatigues and brown armor sections and helmets. The mainline soldiers received light grey fatigues and dark grey armor plating. They also wielded standard assault rifles and plenty of spare ammo, while the Foreign Legion received one spare magazine per soldier for their pistols, and nothing else.

"Retrieve that canister at all costs, and let nothing stand in your way," Bartley added. _At least there won't be any witnesses this way_ , he thought to himself.

* * *

 **The Shinjuku Ghetto...**

Four modified Glasgow Knight Police and two Sutherland Knightmare Frames sped swiftly down the road and out of the tunnel before the two Sutherlands deviated from their course to disappear into the ghetto. Looking in the side mirror of the truck, Nagata swore. "Kallen, we've got four Knightmares riding our ass! If you're gonna use that Glasgow, _now_ would be the time to do it!" Nagata exclaimed into a headset that he had put on after Kallen had departed for her Knightmare.

One of the Knightmares opened fire at the road next to the truck, causing Nagata to swerve as he tried to avoid their fire. Another burst of rounds hit the pavement a few paces ahead of the truck, and Nagata had to swerve to place the middle of the truck over the new hole in the pavement to keep the truck on steady ground. "For fuck's sake, Kallen! They're _firing_ at us!" Nagata screamed into his headset.

As the truck found itself soon surrounded by large buildings on the side of the bridge it was now crossing as it planned to take a ramp, the back doors sprang open and a red-painted Glasgow with various modifications leapt out, drawing the attention of the Knight Police as the truck continued on its journey, taking a ramp to go down into the ghetto proper and lose its pursuers as it entered the concrete forest of buildings and sidewalks. The red Glasgow used its landspinners to maneuver itself backwards while facing the Knight Police, keeping them focused on it as it remained on the bridge. The red Knightmare was armed with a single Knight Pistol, holding eight rounds in its large detachable-box magazine.

Kallen aimed the pistol at the Factsphere Sensors of the Knight Police before shooting out a slash harken to wrap around the legs of one and keep it in line with her as she opened fire, hitting it in the cranium of the sensor suite head where the Factshpere resided. The first two bullets dented the metal covering, but the third one plowed through and smashed the sensor system to pieces.

Detaching the slash harken wire, Kallen forced the Glasgow to evade the harkens of another Police Glasgow as they kept moving on the road. Two of the Knight Police opened fire with their upscaled assault rifles as the third one retracted its slash harken for another go. Eyeing the three Knight Police and their formation, Kallen saw a gap that she could use to her advantage.

Leaning the Glasgow to the left and angling the main body as low as possible without tipping the frame, Kallen shot forward before firing her other slash harken between the legs of one Police Glasgow and wrapping it around the leg of the one behind it. As the third Police Glasgow opened fire, she dodged to her right after using a modified booster and the metal wire of the slash harken cut into the leg of the second Police Glasgow while pulling the first one into it, sending both Knightmares crashing into the ground. She then disconnected the wire cable of the harken to keep herself mobile.

The third Knightmare charged forward, firing at her with its rifle in short controlled bursts to maintain accuracy. At least one round dinged the armor of the Glasgow, causing Kallen to narrow her eyes inside the cockpit at the offending Knightmare on her screen. Moving the Glasgow as swiftly as a fish swam through water, Kallen swerved to dodge the rest of the oversized bullets sent her way while using her Knight Pistol to fire at the ground near the Police Glasgow, hoping to make the pilot try to dodge them as she weaved back and forth to throw off their aim.

Kallen continued strafing the incoming fire of the Police Glasgow, occasionally taking a few more nicks and one hit to an armored part of the hull until she was right nex to the other fallen Knight Police. She quickly leaned her Glasgow down and let go of the Knight Pistol before snatching an upscaled assault rifle, quickly bringing it up to bear and turning her Knightmare to face the Police Glasgow. She waited for the new targeting reticle on her screen to flash red when she had the sights lined up properly before firing burst after burst of large rounds at the limbs of the machine, blowing an arm off and crippling a leg before hitting the Factsphere Sensor. The Police Glasgow's ejection system automatically activated itself as a result of the damage threshold being reached in order to save the life of its pilot.

All four of the pursuing Knightmares had been taken down with only a few scratches on her custom red Glasgow.

"Well, it must be my birthday," Kallen sang with a grin on her face inside the cockpit of the Glasgow. She checked her equipment sensors and saw that she only had two slash harkens left, and her Knight Pistol was gone. She pressed a few buttons to enter a sequence to shut off the alarm for the missing pistol. She wouldn't need that anymore. Speeding back over to the fallen Knightmares, Kallen snatched up some spare ammo for the assault rifle and attached the magazines to a magnetic belt area along the waist of the Glasgow's body and legs. She then tapped the headset she was wearing.

* * *

 **Inside The Truck...**

" _Hey, Nagata! I've cleared four of our pursuers! Just keep making your way to the rendezvous point. I'm gonna make myself a target, so keep driving until you run out of gas_ ," Kallen said over the headset.

Nagata nodded his head in response as he kept his eyes on the road, scanning for any sign of Britannian military forces. "Got it," Nagata finally said into his own headset. "Just don't get cocky. There are gonna be more on their way soon enough. Make your way to the train station and meet up with Ohgi and the- _ah shit!_ " Nagata screamed as a Sutherland burst out from around the corner of an aging building and slammed into the truck.

The vehicle spun around before flipping over and sliding over into a nearby run-down grocery store, crashing through the glass doors and sending the Japanese shoppers inside scrambling for cover and safety. Even with his seat belt on, Nagata found himself being tossed around and slamming his head into something as he heard a scream coming from the back of the truck.

The scream wasn't from outside. Those screams were muffled by the windows and frame of the cabin. _This_ particular scream came from the cargo hold, where the gas canister was stored.

Unbuckling his seat belt, Nagata fell halfway out of his seat before grunting in pain. Glancing up, he saw his leg caught between the seat and the door. "Dammit," Nagata muttered before he looked around and grabbed the MP5 taped to the floor of the cabin. He had to twist himself around to grab it properly, and even then removing the tape was a chore.

He heard the sound of the Knightmare approaching, and he closed his eyes as he prepared for the end, only to open them when an explosion hit the backside of the machine. The Knightmare turned around and chased after whoever had attacked it, speeding off through the streets in hot pursuit. Nagata let out a sigh of relief. His comrades had found him by sheer luck and were drawing the Britannian mech away from him. He then redoubled his efforts to get free and reach his gun. Time was of the essence.

Meanwhile, in the hold, Lelouch was holding his head in pain and seething with anger. "No fucking padding either!" he spat angrily as he nursed a concussion. "Oh, Milly's gonna have a field day if I decide to tell her about _this_ when I get back," Lelouch muttered as he saw the lights on the gas canister blinking in sequence and turning from red to yellow to green before the side popped open with a hiss as mist poured out, along with some kind of liquid, glowing from the lights within the container itself.

" _If_ I get back, that is," he added with a gulp as he waited for the inevitable death by poison gas to occur. It never happened. Blinking in confusion and feeling himself up, Lelouch slowly crawled over to the opened door of the canister and propped himself up to look at its contents as the mist cleared out. He could soon make out a solid shape in the center of the canister, held in place by some kind of harness inside a broken glass cylinder. Liquid was pouring out of the hole in the glass container, and Lelouch soon noticed that the figure was a woman with lime-green hair who appeared to be around his age, bound in a straight-jacket. She appeared to be unconscious as well.

Well... at first. Soon, the girl's eyes sluggishly began to open, revealing her to have gold-colored eyes. They reminded Lelouch of a cat for some reason. Craning her neck to look around, the bound girl began to struggle until she noticed Lelouch. She regarded him carefully, before a strange look appeared in her eyes, one that Lelouch almost took for... recognition.

 _But that's impossible. I've never met this girl before_ , Lelouch thought to himself as the girl began to cough, spitting up bile and globs of the liquid that stained the inside of the glass container. "H-Help me," she pleaded with him in slightly accented English. He couldn't tell exactly, but it sounded... vaguely European, although with how raspy it sounded it was rather difficult to make a proper determination.

Lelouch nodded his head and looked around for something to pry the glass container open, until he heard a grunt and a thud from the cabin, followed by the sound of tape being ripped off of something. Lelouch gulped and watched as a Japanese man wearing a stolen lab delivery truck uniform, with tan slacks and a blue T-shirt underneath, crawled into the back before raising his MP5 in the air and narrowing his eyes at him.

"[Don't shoot!]" Lelouch shrieked in Japanese as he held both of his hands up in the air. The Japanese man tilted his head in confusion. A full-blooded Britannian boy speaking fluent Japanese? Considering how his day had been going so far, it wasn't entirely out of the question.

"Who are you?" Nagata asked him in slightly accented English.

"L-Lelouch. Lelouch Lamperouge," Lelouch said nervously, his eyes never leaving Nagata's... or the gun aimed at him.

"Lelouch? What are you doing here?" Nagata asked, before he glanced down and saw the opened door of the canister. "Why did you open the container!?" Nagata shrieked at Lelouch. "You idiot!" Nagata shouted in English.

He quickly shot forth and tackled Lelouch to the floor, or rather, the side wall. "You've fucking killed us all!" Nagata shouted at Lelouch as he aimed the MP5 at the boy's head. He was three seconds away from pulling the trigger when a female voice cut through the air.

"Stop!" the girl in the canister cried out.

Nagata and Lelouch both looked over at the girl, with Nagata's eyes widening in shock. "W-What the hell!?" Nagata exclaimed incredulously. "Th-This was no gas canister!" he stated.

"Impressive deductive skills," the girl said dryly, glaring at both Nagata and Lelouch with an annoyed expression on her face. "Now, could either one or both of you please help me get out of this jar? I'd rather not remain Clovis's prisoner any longer than necessary," she said angrily.

"Clovis had you put in there!?" Lelouch asked her in surprise. He knew that Clovis wasn't exactly the greatest guy in world, but there had been a time when the blond man wouldn't hurt a fly. To learn that Clovis had been responsible for someone being stuck inside of... whatever the hell this canister was, seemed just wrong.

Lelouch was snapped out of his thoughts as the faint sound of gunfire from outside reach his and Nagata's ears, following by ear-piercing screams of terror and more gunfire. Lelouch looked at the gun in Nagata's hands. "Hey, will that thing break glass?" Lelouch asked Nagata in English.

Nagata looked at Lelouch strangely. "Just grab a crowbar," Nagata spat at him.

"Do you have one in here?" Lelouch asked him.

"Yeah, it's... up in the cabin. Just stay right here with... um, what's your name?" Nagata asked slowly as he turned to look at the green-haired girl.

"My real name? It's been a while since I've used it. Just call me Cee-Two for now. When I remember my real name, I'll be sure to share it with you," she replied with slight irritation in her voice.

"Right," Nagata said before turning to look at Lelouch. "Just stay here with Cee-Two. I'll be right back," Nagata said before he grumbled something under his breath in Japanese while he crawled back over into the cabin to fetch the crowbar. The faint gunfire and screams drew closer and became ever louder, causing Nagata to start swearing up a storm in Japanese, while Lelouch found himself trying to suppress memories of a one-month period in his youth when he and his crippled sister had been surrounded by gunfire, corpses, and blood-soaked forests and streets.

* * *

 **The Streets of The Shinjuku Ghetto...**

Using a pair of binoculars to look over at the smoke rising from several blocks away, Kaname Ohgi gulped as he heard the sound of artillery fire as a building collapsed. "No. No, they..." he trailed off before picking up a radio and calling the members of his cell that were located in that section of the ghetto.

"Iwanori, come in!" Ohgi barked into the radio. " _This is Iwanori, Ohgi!_ " a gruff male voice replied over the radio. "Iwanori, what's going on over there!? I'm hearing artillery fire!" Ohgi asked.

" _You're damn right you're hearing artillery fire! Manabe intercepted a transmission on the Britannian radio frequencies. They've ordered an 'urban renewal program' into effect! They're shooting everyone on sight! Everyone, even children!_ " Iwanori exclaimed over the radio.

"Those animals," Ohgi muttered under his breath as he heard more faint cannon fire in the distance, along with the sounds of Knightmare rifles barking report and report into the air. "Iwanori, lead as many people into the subways and out of the ghetto as you can! I'll re-route Shizuka and Kanazawa to your position. They both have some Glasgows, so they should be able to draw fire from the Britannians until you can get people underground," Ohgi said, just before a loud boom was heard on the radio, followed by static.

Ohgi's eyes widened. "Iwanori? Iwanori! Iwanori, answer me! Iwanori!" Ohgi exclaimed in anguish as static filled the air, before he shut the radio off and hung his head as he slumped over the safety rail lining the roof of the old graffiti marked convenience store he and Nami Inoue were camped out on as they waited for the rest of their cell to show up.

"Iwanori too?" Inoue asked hesitantly as she put a hand on Ohgi's shoulder. Ohgi nodded his head silently before shaking it and glaring at the smoke rising in the distance. Standing up, Ohgi frowned before turning around and looking past Inoue to glare at Shinnichiro Tamaki, who was busy wrapping a new bandage around his left arm as Ohgi marched over to him and yanked him to his feet.

"Hey, Kaname, what the hell's the matter with you!?" Tamaki shrieked as Ohgi threw him against the rail and then shoved the binoculars into his hands. Ohgi then pointed forward, gesturing for Tamaki to use the binoculars and look in that direction.

"You hear that? You see the smoke? If you had followed your fucking orders like I told you to, those bastards wouldn't have realized what was going on, and Nagata and Kallen wouldn't have been followed," Ohgi said with a frown as he grabbed Tamaki's head and made sure that he was looking in the direction of the slaughter in the distance.

"I... I didn't think that they would go this far," Tamaki said remorsefully, lowering his head in shame.

"That's right, you didn't _think_ ," Ohgi spat at him before grabbing the binoculars and handing them over to Inoue. "Now... when I give you an order, I expect you to follow it. Is that understood?" Ohgi asked Tamaki, anger and venom lacing his voice. Tamaki nodded his head in response.

"I want to hear it," Ohgi said.

"Affirmative," Tamaki replied. Ohgi sighed and made his way over to the radio so that he could contact Kallen.

* * *

 **Elsewhere In Shinjuku...**

Crouching behind the ruins of a wherehouse, Diethard Ried held his camera steady. A grimace marred his face as he watched innocent civilians being slaughtered without mercy. When he had overheard Clovis talking on the phone with General Bartley, he had decided to investigate, pulling several strings along the way before he learned that something big was going down in the Shinjuku Ghetto. Upon his arrival at one of the entrances, he was forced to turn around by the Britannian Police units stationed around a barricade.

Diethard soon discovered that all of the roads leading into the ghetto had been blocked off for some reason. Therefore he decided to use an off-road path, taking his car out to a remote location and then soldiering through on foot the rest of the way with his camera. He was both horrified and fascinated by what he discovered.

He soon saw two elderly people trying to carefully make their way out of an apartment building, only for a group of Britannian infantry to mow them down with their assault rifles. Diethard quickly hid himself and his camera the second it appeared that the soldiers were going to turn around. He knew they would kill him if they discovered him, especially since he had a camera recording everything they were doing.

* * *

 **Back With Lelouch...**

Leaning against a shelf holding cereal and canned goods, Lelouch, C.C., and Nagata peered over the side to see a Knightmare Frame run over a small child running through the streets. Lelouch felt sick at the sight, and Nagata's blood boiled. C.C. had seen far gorier things in her long life, but she had to admit that seeing someone get trampled by a giant humanoid tank was certainly new.

"Okay, we can't stay here much longer," Nagata said, holding his MP5 tightly in his hands.

Lelouch nodded his head before looking Nagata in the eyes. "You know how to get out of here without being seen?" Lelouch asked the older male. Nagata nodded his head in affirmation.

"Yeah. I work at this store," Nagata said. "I'm a grocery clerk here, so I know my way around the back rooms where the supplies our dear overlords have seen fit to allow us are stored and loaded. There's going to be a loading dock on the other side of the building. Follow me and keep your head down. I don't doubt they'll be sending in Britannian infantry to clear out the buildings in a more thorough manner. Oh, by the way, the name's Takeshi Nagata," Nagata elaborated as he motioned for Lelouch and C.C. to follow him to the back of the store.

The sounds of gunfire rang out through the streets as Knightmares burst through rotting walls and opened fire at fleeing civilians. Parked cars were turned into fiery skeletons and infantry filed into narrow hallways of apartment buildings before kicking open doors and spraying the interiors of the rooms with a hail of bullets. Blood coated the floors and walls of each room visited by the zealous infantry as they methodically searched each and every room of every apartment they entered for signs of life before ending it, regardless of age or gender.

Back in the grocery store, Lelouch and C.C. quietly followed Nagata as they entered the employee hallways and started running through walls with peeling paint and drab surfaces. They soon stopped to listen as they heard faint boots on the ground in the distance. Nagata grimaced before pulling a map out of his pants pocket and handing it to Lelouch.

"Take this and hold onto it. This girl is clearly important to the Britannians, so make sure that she stays out of their hands," Nagata said in English to Lelouch. Lelouch nodded his head in response.

"Speaking of which," Lelouch said as he and Nagata both turned to look at C.C. "Why _were_ you in that canister?" Lelouch asked her.

"I was being used as a test subject for human experimentation," C.C. replied bluntly. " _Illegal_ experimentation," she added with furrowed brows and venom in her voice. Lelouch and Nagata both blanched at her words. The ramifications of what she had said were not lost on either of them.

Human experimentation was a highly controversial subject, and the fact that Clovis la Britannia was overseeing such a project meant that the violence going on outside wasn't just a result of trigger-happy Britannians going hog wild. It was a direct order from the top to eliminate all potential witnesses. The fact that the canister containing C.C. resembled a chemical weapon canister only compounded the matter, as chemical weapons were among the few things that Britannia had agreed with the rest of the world to ban. Even if C.C. hadn't been freed from her capsule, the fact that the canister resembled a gas canister meant that Clovis was in deep shit regardless, because if the Emperor were to find out about either the experimentation or the cover story that a poison gas canister had been stolen, he would disown and possibly even execute Clovis on the spot.

"Clovis is a sick bastard," Lelouch spat. Nagata nodded his head in agreement.

"Never thought I'd agree with a Britannian on anything," Nagata quipped. He then motioned for Lelouch and C.C. to wait behind him as he opened a door in front of them. He then ushered them inside before carefully closing it shut and turning off the light.

The boots from earlier approached rapidly. " _I heard voices this way. Come on, check the second floor. I'll sniff around the back_ ," a muffled voice said beyond the door. All three people hiding in the dark held their breath as they waited for the Britannian infantry to finish their sweep.

Looking nearby, Nagata noticed a small light under a doorway on the opposite end of the room. He quietly motioned for Lelouch and C.C. to huddle closer to him. " _Lelouch... use that map and get C-Two over to the others at the train station. Then get your ass out of the ghetto_ ," Nagata whispered firmly.

" _What about you, Nagata?_ " Lelouch asked him.

Nagata glanced over his shoulder as boots approached the door to their hiding spot. " _I'll lead them away from here. You stay hidden in the shadows while I open that door and lead them on a chase. After they've all gone through, double back and head out one of the rear entrances_ ," Nagata whispered to him before he carefully made his way over to the door, stopping just as the boots did.

" _I thought I heard something in here_ ," one of the soldiers said behind the door.

" _Break it down_ ," came another voice, one with sadistic glee evident. Nagata then deliberately opened the second door loudly, making it creak as Lelouch and C.C. both backed up and ducked behind some wooden crates. " _There's someone in there! I've got seventeen so far, this'll make it eighteen!_ " the second voice said gleefully as he grabbed the handle and opened the door.

Nagata quickly stepped into the light of the next room and leapt out of the way as the Britannian soldiers opened fire with their assault rifles. " _Shit! He's getting away!_ " the first soldier said through his helmet as the duo gave chase and exited the room through the second door. Lelouch motioned for C.C. to stay quiet as more boots approached, and the duo watched quietly as five more soldiers ran through the darkened room to assist their bloodthirsty comrades.

Listening for more noise, Lelouch soon deduced that the coast was clear, and he grabbed C.C. by the arm and made his way out of the room, remembering Nagata's instructions. Lelouch and C.C. carefully crept around the hallway, checking for signs of Britannian forces as they made their way through decrepit hallways until finally stumbling upon a door with an exit sign posted above it.

Pushing the door open, Lelouch and C.C. exited the back of the store before Lelouch pulled out the map given to him by Nagata. "Okay, we're gonna make our way to the train station and then... and then..." Lelouch trailed off, not entirely sure of what he was going to do after dropping off C.C.

"You'll return home," C.C. said to him as she scanned the small employee parking area behind the store. Her eyes eventually landed on a narrow space between two buildings nearby. She and Lelouch would be able to go through there without being seen. "Hand me the map," C.C. requested. Lelouch held the map out for her and she looked at it.

"Follow me," she said confidently. Lelouch nodded his head and walked behind her as she made her way to the small alley. The sounds of gunfire echoed in the distance, filling the air.

Creeping through the alley, C.C. noticed a car parked out next to the sidewalk ahead of them. As she reached the end of the alley, she leaned against the brick wall of the building on her right and looked at the streets from an angle. Bullet-filled corpses littered the ground.

Switching to the other wall, C.C. looked out from an angle again, and the same results greeted her. The Britannians had already gone through this area, so they wouldn't need to worry about running into any opposition. C.C. motioned for Lelouch to follow her as she exited the alley and darted across the street, ignoring the stench of blood and smoke. She'd been through it numerous times in the past.

Lelouch, however, had a much more difficult time doing so, but he was holding up remarkably well given the circumstances. Had he witnessed something like this before? Hiding between two parked cars, both of which were remarkably unscathed, C.C. motioned for Lelouch to crouch down and follow her lead. Lelouch wordlessly followed her instructions as they quietly made their way through the city, hiding from infantry and Knightmare Frames by staying behind their path of destruction.

The pair traveled on foot for another twenty minutes before entering a building with broken doors and dead bodies on the ground near the entrance. As they slowly entered the halls of the building, Lelouch had to fight back a grimace as he saw the numerous slain bodies slumped against the walls. As he looked around at the carnage, he failed to notice C.C. stopping her movements. Lelouch accidentally walked into her from behind.

"Oof! Sorry about that," Lelouch apologized. C.C. turned around and glared at him, just before the sound of boots and armor caught their attention. The duo looked around for a hiding place, before C.C. motioned for Lelouch to follow her as she broke into a sprint down the hall before they reach a T-junction in the hallway. Just as they reached the junction, a Britannian soldier with brown armor stepped into view.

The soldier noticed them immediately and brought their pistol up as Lelouch and C.C. turned around and bolted for an open door nearby. " _ **Halt!**_ " the soldier shouted at them through his helmet, his gun aimed straight for them. " **Hands up! Both of you!** " the soldier ordered.

Lelouch and C.C. froze in place as they slowly raised their arms and hands. " **That's good. Now slowly turn to face me. Slowly** ," the soldier said firmly. His gun was still aimed at them.

The soldier then tilted his head as he saw Lelouch's face. " **Wait a minute... Lelouch?** " the soldier asked, recognition evident in his voice. Lelouch looked at the soldier curiously.

" **Lelouch, is that really you?** " the soldier asked him.

Lelouch blinked in surprise. "Do I... know you?" Lelouch asked the soldier cautiously.

The soldier looked around before holstering his sidearm. He then reached up and took off his helmet to reveal a head full of messy brown hair and green eyes. Recognition soon set in for Lelouch as he realized who he was looking at.

"Suzaku!?" Lelouch asked in astonishment. "Suzaku Kururugi!? What the hell are you doing here!?" Lelouch asked his old friend.

"What am _I_ doing here? I'm in the military. Lelouch, what are _you_ doing here?" Suzaku retorted curiously.

"Uh... well, it's a funny story, now that you ask," Lelouch said awkwardly.

"We need to keep moving," C.C. said, interrupting the two reunited friends. "If we stay here too long, then our chances of being found increase dramatically," she elaborated as she began walking away. "And if we _are_ found, the only one who will be leaving here intact will be _me_ ," C.C. said darkly. The faint sounds of gunfire could be heard in the distance, along with rising smoke from buildings that were being bombarded by artillery.

"Wait, Cee-Two!" Lelouch called out softly. Suzaku raised an eyebrow.

"Cee-Two?" he asked rhetorically as he ran over to the girl. "Hold on, Miss. It's not safe here. I'm gonna need you to come with me. I'll take you somewhere safe," Suzaku said. "If I can contact my superiors, they can have you and Lelouch taken out of the ghetto to someplace away from the fighting," Suzaku said.

C.C. looked at him with an expression of disbelief mixed with annoyance. "I don't think you fully grasp the gravity of our current situation, Private Kururugi," C.C. said as she noticed the rank insignia on Suzaku's uniform.

"Of course I do, and with a canister of poison gas somewhere in this city, it's important that all civilians be evacuated as quickly as possible," Suzaku said. C.C. narrowed her eyes at him in a glare.

"Civilians? Do you mean _Britannian_ civilians? Because I don't think your fellow soldiers give two shits about the _Japanese_ civilians they've been mercilessly mowing down in the past hour," C.C. snapped at him accusingly.

Suzaku looked away from her with an expression of mixed emotions on his face. "I can't change what my comrades are doing, but I can still do the right thing myself if I try hard enough," Suzaku said firmly. "And the right thing is escorting you to safety. If you don't trust my superiors, then I know a path to a subway station being used by the ghetto's residents to flee underground. I can take you there if you'd like," Suzaku said.

Lelouch and C.C. both looked at Suzaku curiously. "I've already escorted three groups of Elevens down there in the past forty-five minutes. I was searching for more when I stumbled across you guys," Suzaku said. The helmet in his left hand soon came to life as the radio buzzed.

Suzaku put the helmet back on. " **This is Private Kururugi reporting** ," Suzaku said into his helmet's radio.

" _ **Private, have you located the gas canister yet?**_ " the voice of one Margrave Jeremiah Gottwald asked him over the radio.

" **Negative, sir. All I've been able to find so far are dead bodies in the streets. Every other truck and car I've found has been destroyed** ," Suzaku reported.

" _ **Then keep searching. Have you found anything else of interest?**_ " Gottwald asked him.

" **Just some warm bodies here and there. I've been moving them out of the way so that no one has to see them** ," Suzaku replied.

" _ **Very well. But don't take too long with your efforts. Be quick and efficient. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a red Glasgow in my sights and I'm itching for a good fight. Just be discrete in your actions and find that canister as soon as possible**_ ," Gottwald said over the helmet's radio before hanging up.

" **Okay guys. Follow me** ," Suzaku said as he gestured for C.C. and Lelouch to follow him through the hallways of the apartment building.

"So... tell me, Suzaku, why did you join the military of the country that _invaded_ and _conquered_ your homeland? Actually, _how_ did you manage to join the military?" Lelouch asked his friend.

" **I'm an Honorary Britannian. I signed up for the military so that I could make a difference** ," Suzaku explained as he navigated the hallways of the building before leading Lelouch and C.C. over to an exit in the back. " **Up ahead is a series of alley ways that lead to an old subway entrance. Most of the interior is blocked off, but you should be able to hide in there for a while. Most of the lights don't work, though, so be careful, and I don't have a spare flashlight to give you** ," Suzaku said through his helmet as he led them through the parking lot and across an empty street before running along the sidewalk to reach the alley.

"So... you two know each other?" C.C. asked quietly as they crept through the alley.

"Yeah. We were friends when we were kids," Lelouch said. "My sister and I were-I mean, we moved to Japan when we were kids, and then we met Suzaku and his family. We hated each other at first, but after a few months..." Lelouch trailed off.

" **After a few months of getting to know one another and one** _ **horrible**_ **night lost in the woods during a storm, we became brothers in all but blood** ," Suzaku explained. Lelouch could practically _hear_ the smile in Suzaku's voice as he undoubtedly reminisced about their youth prior to the invasion. It helped him temporarily block out the reality of the gunfire and explosions being heard throughout the city.

"For the record, _Suzaku_ was the one who got us lost," Lelouch said defensively.

" **Really? Because I recall** _ **you**_ **deciding that we didn't need to leave any trails to get back to the manor and that we didn't need any maps either. You said your memory was perfect and that you could simply** _ **think**_ **our way back home** ," Suzaku said with a chuckle.

Lelouch frowned and narrowed his eyes in a glare at his friend's back. "Well, I could have... eventually," Lelouch said grumpily.

Suzaku snorted. " **Yeah. Before or** _ **after**_ **starving to death?** " he asked with a snicker. Lelouch simply rolled his eyes in response as he and C.C. kept following Suzaku to the subway entrance.

After running across the street, they prepared to enter another alley, until the cold steel of a gun barrel pressed against Lelouch's neck. Suzaku turned around after hearing Lelouch cry out. " **Wait, he's Britannian!** " Suzaku shouted at the other Britannian soldiers standing by the alley's entrance.

" **So he is** ," said the leader of the group, a soldier with Sergeant chevrons on his uniform, as he pulled his gun away from Lelouch. " **Private, that girl, who is she?** " the Sergeant asked as he noticed C.C.

" **She's his girlfriend. They claim they were visiting the ghetto to take pictures for some kind of school project when the fighting started** ," Suzaku lied.

The Sergeant considered Suzaku's words. " **Hm... possible, except that school hours aren't over yet** ," the Sergeant said knowingly. " **Private Kururugi... we'll let your dishonesty slide this once... if you eliminate these witnesses** ," the Sergeant said coldly.

Suzaku stood stock still in shock. " **W-What? B-But sir! They're civilians!** _ **Britannian**_ **civilians!** " Suzaku added, hoping to play on the racial attitudes of the Britannian soldier.

" **Yes. That's why it was so tragic that they were caught in the crossfire, isn't it?** " the Sergeant asked in response with a chuckle. Suzaku's eyes widened behind his helmet.

Suzaku then reached down to finger the grip of his pistol through a gap in the holster. He couldn't kill Lelouch, not after everything they had gone through together as children. But he _could_ provide a distraction so that Lelouch and C.C. could get away. _If I play my cards just right..._

" **Time's up** ," the Sergeant said, surprising Suzaku.

" **Huh!?** " Suzaku asked, just before the Sergeant pulled out a pistol and shot him the waist between the gaps of his armor. Suzaku fell back with a cry of surprise and pain, landing on the ground with a thud.

"Suzaku!" Lelouch cried out in horror.

" **Now, I guess we'll have to** -" the Sergeant was cut off as gunfire tore through the air at him.

Lelouch and C.C. stepped back and looked over to see Nagata firing his MP5 in short bursts at the Britannian soldiers before ducking behind a parked car next to the sidewalk as they returned fire. "Nagata!?" Lelouch asked incredulously. Nagata glanced in his direction and winked at him before pulling out a small object and removing a pin. He threw the grenade at the Britannian soldiers and it released a cloud of smoke.

"Run, Lelouch! Run!" Nagata cried out as he opened fire at the Britannian soldiers in the smoke cloud, who quickly burst through the haze and focused their attention on Nagata as they opened fire with their rifles. Lelouch and C.C. both darted behind the smoke cloud and ran for another alley, just as they heard Nagata cry out in pain from being shot.

Lelouch stopped to turn around but C.C. grabbed him by the cuff of his sleeve and pulled him along as she ran through the alley. Faint gunfire could be heard in the distance along with artillery and explosions. Smoke rose from buildings in the distance, and the duo kept moving as fast as their legs could carry them.

Meanwhile, Nagata was crawling over to his dropped SMG when the Britannians caught up to him and aimed their rifles at his bleeding body. " **Any last words, Eleven?** " the Sergeant asked snidely as he prepared to shoot Nagata's head off. Nagata smiled before pulling another grenade out of his pocket. This one wasn't a smoke grenade.

"Y-Yeah," Nagata said in English with a smile. "I'm ready. How about you?" Nagata asked him before pulling the pin and holding the grenade up for the soldiers to see. In five seconds, the soldiers found their world turning white before a horrible heat burned through them.

Running through the streets, Lelouch and C.C. soon found the subway entrance that Suzaku had mentioned. Running to the steps, they soon noticed that rubble from a nearby building had plugged the entrance at the bottom. There was no way to get through. Returning to the surface, C.C. and Lelouch ran across the street and over to a nearby restaurant.

Closing the doors behind them, Lelouch and C.C. turned around, only to see a young Japanese woman run out of a back room before her head exploded. Several Britannian Royal Guards emerged from the back room, one of them smoking a cigarette as he reloaded his pistol. Lelouch and C.C. dove behind a booth as the guards strode past them.

Holding their breath, Lelouch and C.C. waited for the guards to pass, just as Lelouch's cell phone rang. Lelouch's eyes widened in terror and anger as he desperately grabbed the phone to shut it off. The number calling him belonged to a girl at school named Shirley Fennette. Lelouch quickly silenced the phone and hoped that the Royal Guards hadn't noticed the noise.

It was too late.

Seconds later, Lelouch found himself being thrown across the room and smashing into a table, knocking it over as he rolled on the ground, groaning in pain. "My... what high pain tolerance you have," the head of the Guard said with a smirk. Lelouch glared at him from his prone position on the floor.

"Unfortunately, since you've seen C-Two here, we can't allow you to leave," he said. C.C. glared at the man as two of his men restrained her. "Now, we can make this painless... or we can make it look like an accident," the Head Guard said as he took out his pistol and aimed it at Lelouch.

"It's quiet unfortunate, but... we have orders to leave no witnesses, young man. It's nothing personal," the Guard said with a dishonest smirk. Slowly rising to his feet, Lelouch stood up and looked the man in the eyes with a gulp. "But, where do I shoot you first? I gotta make it look like crossfire, after all," he said. The main aimed his pistol at Lelouch's chest. "Eenie... meanie... miney..."

"No!" C.C. shouted before tearing away from the guards and grabbing one of their sidearms after elbowing him in the face. She quickly shoved the leader to throw him off balance before placing herself in front of Lelouch, aiming her stolen pistol at the guards as she switched off the safety with ease. "I won't let you do it!" she snarled at the guards.

The Head Guard grimaced. It was now a stand off. C.C. kept her eyes trained on the man, until she saw movement out of the corner of her eye as another Guard brought up a pistol to bear. C.C. switched her aim and fired once at him.

The Head Guard then opened fire at her. Seven bullets ripped into C.C.s torso as she dropped her pistol to the ground and wobbled on her feet. C.C.'s eyes widened at the pain before she fell back into Lelouch's chest. Lelouch then fell back on his rear as C.C. bled out in his arms.

"N-No! Cee-Two!? Cee-Two! You shot her! You bastards, you shot her!" Lelouch cried out as his focus switched between the Royal Guards and the bleeding girl in his arms.

"Dammit! We were under orders to take her alive if at all possible," the Head Guard said in frustration. "Oh well... I suppose it can't be helped," he said with a sigh and a shrug of his shoulders. He then looked around at his subordinates.

"Alright, here's the story we're sticking with," he began. "We found the girl already tortured to death by the Elevens, and this boy was caught in the crossfire," he stated. The other guards all nodded their heads in agreement.

While the guards were talking, Lelouch held C.C.'s bloody body in his arms, looking down at her with wide eyes. "Cee-Two!" Lelouch sobbed as the girl gasped in pain. She slowly reached her right hand up to his face.

"Would you... like to make a contract?" she asked him. Lelouch blinked at her in confusion. "I can help you survive, Lelouch. But... it will come at a cost. Do you wish to live or not?" she asked him, knowing that the Britannian Royal Guard were mere moments away from shooting Lelouch.

"Yes," Lelouch said as he glanced over in the direction of the guards. They were deliberating over whether or not to use a rifle or a pistol for his execution.

"Accept this contract and you accept its conditions, while living in the world of humans, you will live unlike any other. A different providence, a different time, a different life. The power of the king will condemn you to a life of solitude, however. Are you prepared for this?"

Lelouch gulped. "Yes. I accept your conditions," Lelouch said solemnly as her hand reached up and she spread all of her digits before pressing them against his face. Lelouch's eyes widened as he felt something surge through him. He felt his very soul leave his body before re-entering it, felt pain and pleasure coursing through his veins, and he felt a strange sensation in his left eye that was weird but not unpleasant. When he regained his senses, he saw that C.C. was lying limp in his hands.

Her chest no longer rose and fell. He checked her throat and wrists for a pulse. There wasn't one to be found. C.C. was dead.

Gently laying her down on the floor of the restaurant, Lelouch slowly stood up and turned to face the Britannian Royal Guard. His face bore the grimace of determination as he glared at them. "Tell me, sir? If you are so eager and willing to kill others, are you prepared to _be killed_ as well?" Lelouch asked him with a mirthless chuckle.

The Head Guard snickered in response. "Am I _prepared_ to be killed? By whom? _You?_ " the Guard asked him incredulously with a snicker.

Lelouch then lifted his left hand and spread his fingers around his left eye, causing the guards to gasp as a red bird-like sigil emanated from Lelouch's eye. They couldn't move. They were transfixed by the sigil in his eye. "W-What the hell is... g-going on here!?" the Head Guard asked in a panic as he tried to move his arms and legs, but found himself immobile.

"I... Lelouch _vi Britannia_ , hereby command you, _all of you_... _**die**_ ," Lelouch said with a vengeful smirk on his face. The guards tried to resist, but they found themselves compelled to draw their weapons and press the barrels of their pistols against their heads, their eyes glowing red as the Geass took over their brains.

"With _pleasure_ , your majesty!" the head guard said with a deranged smile on his face before he squeezed the trigger of his gun. His subordinates soon followed suit and the windows of the restaurant were splattered with blood. Lelouch then felt the power withdraw from his eye and looked around at the room, finally realizing what he had done.

Looking back over at C.C.'s body, Lelouch knelt down next to her and sighed. "I'm sorry... Cee-Two. I couldn't save you," Lelouch said softly with remorse lacing his voice. He then heard a small gasp and saw her eyes begin flutter, while a strange sound emanated from her chest as the bullets from earlier began to fall out of her body.

Lelouch's eyes widened in amazement as the girl began to heal her wounds, finally blinking and groaning before pushing herself up into a sitting position on the floor. C.C. then looked up at Lelouch before looking around and seeing the dead guards. She then looked back at Lelouch and smirked.

"Well... I see you've been _busy_ ," C.C. quipped as she slowly stood up. Lelouch raised himself from his kneeling position and gaped at her like a fish. C.C. noticed his expression and giggled in amusement at his bewilderment.

"You're... alive? But... how?" Lelouch asked her curiously.

"It's a kind of magic... called immortality," C.C. explained as she walked over to a dead guard and picked up his gun and holster before adjusted them to fit around her waist. She then grabbed some spare ammo from the corpse.

"So, Lelouch... what do you plan to do now?" C.C. asked him.

Lelouch looked around at the room and the city outside before a smile formed on his face. C.C. had seen this smile on others in the past. It was the smile of someone with a grand scheme, a plan, one that was wild and insane, possibly even suicidal. This was hopefully going to be fun.

"I'm not too sure in the long run, but in the _short run_... I'm gonna bring the Britannian military to its knees."

* * *

 **ENDING THEME:** _ **A Kind Of Magic**_ **, by Queen**.

* * *

 **PREVIEW OF NEXT TIME**

On the next episode of _Two Steps Forward, One Step Backward_ , Lelouch must find a way out of the Shinjuku Ghetto, but with terrorists and Britannian kills squads fighting around every corner, even Geass alone may not be enough for Lelouch to escape alive.

* * *

Author's Notes: And this was Chapter 01 of my first _Code Geass_ fan fiction. In regards to my portrayal of Lelouch in this story, _Two Steps_ Lelouch is slightly less cunning than his canon counterpart, but he also has a bit more sense as well, because I intend to avoid a certain... accidental brainwash that occurred in the middle of the canon series. However, Two Steps Lelouch is every bit as focused on vengeance against his father as the canon Lelouch and liberating Japan is simply a step along the way for him.

Honestly, a hero who helps liberate a country simply because it helps him achieve his true goal is far more interesting and entertaining than a hero who liberates a country just because it's the right thing to do. It allows for greater character development as well.

The next chapter will play out very similarly to the canon version of events, with some minor changes, but otherwise the battle of Shinjuku becomes resolved by the end. Oh, and C.C. remains alive and accompanies Lelouch for most the chapter as well.

For those you curious about Jeremiah Gottwald calling Suzaku on the radio, he was using a private channel. As for why the leader of the Purebloods would speak to an _Honorary Britannian_ on a private radio channel... that will be explained in the next chapter.

I, Anguirus1955, command you... to let me know what you think of the chapter in your reviews!


	2. The Battle of Shinjuku

**CODE GEASS: Two Steps Forward, One Step Backward**

By Anguirus1955

Disclaimer: Code Geass is the intellectual property of Studio Sunrise and Bandai Entertainment.

Here is Chapter 02, where the Battle of Shinjuku reaches its peak. Because C.C. is now conscious in this version of the story, she will be able to aid Lelouch early on and provide him with information on his Geass and some of its limitations. While I've made C.C. a bit more openly snarky and talkative than in canon, she still retains her core personality traits, and often does things to bewilder people simply for her own amusement, given that she's been alive for over 500 years. And yes, she retains her love for pizza.

Now, as for the main pairing of this story... you'll see as it moves along. Oh, and I have a few surprises in store for readers regarding Nunnally. No, she isn't dead, but some of her backstory has been changed. Yes, she is still Lelouch's sister. No, she cannot fly and does not receive her own Geass. Nor does she have a rocket-powered wheelchair, as cool as that would be.

I've also made some changes to Jeremiah Gottwald as well in regards to his backstory and personality, but many of those changes will be revealed slowly throughout the story.

And, in addition, despite how much I despised Ohgi and the others post R2-E19, I do think that these characters all could have worked if things had turned out differently or had at least been written by someone who knew how to properly structure a story. So, I won't be making Ohgi and the others into complete idiots or engage in bashing. Instead, I'll be writing them so that they are actually likable to a degree. Although, at this point, I'm still not sure if I'm going to keep the Ohgi x Villeta pairing from canon. If I can find a way to make it work, I'll consider it, but for now it's completely up in the air. Hey, maybe I'll deviate and make a Jeremiah x Villetta pairing, or maybe I won't pair Villetta or Ohgi with anyone save their own hands. I only have the outline of the story planned out, not all of the details, at least not that far. I have the next eight chapters all planned out, but that's about it for the time being.

So, this chapter follows the Battle of Shinjuku, and while the outline of events is similar to canon, I've decided to change a few things up a bit. And, as you can all probably guess, Clovis actually lives beyond the Battle of Shinjuku in this version of the story, because he let Bartley take care of things so that he [Clovis] could get laid.

As with all stories that I write, I listen to music while writing to help myself get into a groove or to help myself capture certain feelings while writing. It can help inspire me sometimes. Music that I listened to while writing this chapter include _Code Geass OST_ 1 - 2 (2006 - 2007) by Kotaro Nakagawa, _Halo: Combat Evolved_ (2001) by Martin O'Donnell & Michael Salvatori, _Halo 2 Volumes 1 - 2_ (2004) by Martin O'Donnell & Michael Salvatori, and _Halo 2 Anniversary Original Soundtrack_ (2014) by Martin O'Donnell & Michael Salvatori with new recordings by Skywalker Sound.

Please note that listening to this music while reading the story is _**not**_ a requirement. I simply provide this as a little something extra to help enhance the reading experience, if you the readers so wish to do so. Most of this music can be found and heard on YouTube or any number of anime soundtrack websites. For this chapter, however, I do recommend listening to the final track listing if possible.

Sudden and Suspicious Disclaimer: I also advocate the purchasing and obtaining of official soundtracks through legal means.

Music From _Code Geass OST 1 - 2_ (2006 - 2007): _Zero_ , _Invisible Sound_ , _Outside Road_ , _Devil Created_ , _The First Signature_ , _Air Surfing_ , _State of Emergency_ , _Elegent Force_ , _Occupied Thinking_ , _In Justice_ , _Nightmare_ ,

Music From _Halo: Combat Evolved_ (2001): _Perilous Journey_ , _Rock Anthem For Saving The World_ , _Covenant Dance_.

Music From _Halo 2 Vol. 1 - 2_ (2004): _Unyielding_ , _Reclaimer_ , _Peril_ ,

Music From _Halo 2 Anniversary_ (2014): _Genesong_ , _Jeopardy_ , _Kilindini Harbor_ , _Only a Star, Only the Sea_ , _Not A Number_.

 **Track Order Listing - All After Opening Theme And Before Ending Theme**

 **01**. _Occupied Thinking_ (Restaurant/Knightmare-jacking), **02**. _Nightmare_ (Front line journalism), **03**. _Only a Star, Only the Sea_ (Suzaku wakes up), **04**. _Perilous Journey_ (Kallen versus Jeremiah/Train chase), **05**. _Skyline_ (Tools for victory), **06**. _Covenant Dance_ (Turning the tide Montage), **07**. _Kilindini Harbor_ (The big trap), **08**. _Bad Illusion_ (Setback/New orders).

 **Music After Ending Theme**

 **09**. _Not A Number_.

* * *

 **OPENING THEME:** _ **Princes Of The Universe**_ **(by Queen)**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 02: The Battle of Shinjuku**

* * *

 **The Shinjuku Ghetto, Area 11, Thursday, August 17, 2017 ATB**

"So, you're, uh, immortal, right?" Lelouch asked C.C. as he looked her up and down, seeing the blood stains still on her outfit.

"I believe that's been established," she replied, raising an eyebrow at Lelouch. She had _just_ returned from the dead in front of him. Wasn't that enough for the boy?

"So, are you immortal _because_ of the experiments Clovis performed on you, or did he perform experiments on you _because_ of your immortality?" Lelouch asked her curiously. "I mean, you were in that canister for a reason, weren't you? It's not like you decided to just take a nap in there for the hell of it," Lelouch remarked.

C.C. raised her other eyebrow at him, mildly impressed by his line of questioning. "The second one," she finally said. "Your brother discovered that I was immortal and wanted to learn how to gain it for himself. He was given everything he needed to perform his experiments by another immortal, named Vee-Two. Before you ask, Vee-Two has _very_ deep connections within the Empire," C.C. explained as she walked over to a booth and sat down in it, reclining her back against the cushiony seat.

"Huh. Okay then," Lelouch said, still slightly dissatisfied with C.C.'s apparent refusal to explain any further. Still, he now understood the basic elements of her situation and what he had become involved in, so at least there was something for him to work with. It was't much, but it was better than nothing.

Standing by the windows of the restaurant, Lelouch turned around and looked at the ghetto through the blood-stained windows. After a few minutes of gazing, Lelouch soon heard something in the distance. Carefully walking over to the entrance of the restaurant, he soon backed up after the whirring sound of machinery drew closer, before a purple and red Sutherland drove by the restaurant. Lelouch noticed the colors and a plan soon formed in his head as he opened the doors and stepped out, waving his hands in the air.

The Sutherland soon stopped in its tracks and backed up before spinning itself around, raising a gun to aim it at Lelouch. Lelouch briefly flinched at the sight of the gigantic weapon being pointed at him. _Remember the plan. Remember the plan. Remember the plan_ , Lelouch mentally reminded himself in order to keep calm.

Inside the cockpit of the machine, one Villetta Nu raised an eyebrow in surprise as she activated the Factsphere sensor of the Sutherland. "What the hell is a Britannian school boy doing in the ghetto?" she asked herself as she studied the young man's attire. She then activated the external speaker com system for the Sutherland.

" _ **You there! Identify yourself!**_ " Villetta shouted over the speakers. Lelouch mentally grinned as he activated his Geass.

"Give me your Knightmare," he said, before frowning as the Knightmare pilot simply repeated her demand.

 _I guess it doesn't work through machinery or sensor systems_ , Lelouch thought to himself in embarrassment.

" _ **I said identify yourself at once!**_ " the pilot reiterated through the speaker system.

"My name is Julius Kingsley! I'm the son of a Duke!" Lelouch lied. There was no way that the pilot of a _Pureblood Faction_ Knightmare would ignore the pleas of the nobility. "I would appreciate being given protection and escort through the ghetto! My ID card is in my breast pocket if you'd like to see it," he added.

Inside the cockpit, Villetta grinned. _If I protect the son of a noble, I can gain status as a Baroness! I could even get a promotion in rank! But what if it's a trick? Even if he isn't nobility, I can still gain something from protecting a Britannian civilian. Either way, this is too good to pass up_ , she thought to herself as she put the machine in park and removed her safety harness before getting up and making her way to the back. She opened the sliding door and grabbed a climbing ladder before making her way down to the ground.

The boy was standing in front of a restaurant. "Keep your hands in the air!" she barked at him sternly. The boy complied, raising his arms into the air, and as Villetta walked closer to him, she saw a strange red bird fly out of his left eye.

Lelouch smiled as Villetta stopped in her tracks. "Now then, hand your Knightmare over to me, along with your identification number," Lelouch ordered. Villetta's eyes glowed with red rings and she retrieved her activation key, holding it out to Lelouch.

"The code number is XG21G2D4," Villetta said. Lelouch memorized the code before proceeding to give Villetta her next order.

"Thank you. Now, go stand in the restaurant for five minutes and then forget that you encountered me," Lelouch said. Villetta nodded her head and proceeded to walk over to the restaurant, pushing the doors open and walking inside before stopping in place. C.C. quickly rushed out past Villetta and over to Lelouch, who was already climbing up the ladder connected to the Knightmare's cockpit.

Climbing up the ladder behind him, C.C. waited until they were inside the cockpit with the hatch closed to admonish him. "You do realize how _easily_ that could have gone wrong, don't you?" C.C. asked Lelouch as he settled into the pilot seat and snapped the safety harness on.

"How do you mean?" he asked her as he inserted the activation key into its slot and entered the code number into the main computer system. The monitors around him came to life as lights shone on his face and illuminated the cabin.

"Well, what if she had opened fire immediately? You'd be bits and pieces of blood and bone scattered on the ground right now," C.C. said, watching Lelouch squirm slightly at her words.

"Yeah, well... it _didn't_ turn out that way," he retorted after a minute. He then accessed the battle-net and began looking up IFF signals with his Factsphere Sensor. "All right, let's start intercepting radio chatter," he said with a grin. "Time to start turning the tide," Lelouch said as he started moving the Sutherland away from the restaurant before taking a right turn at an intersection.

* * *

 **Elsewhere In Shinjuku...**

Diethard Ried panted as he dove for cover behind a dumpster. Behind him, a large Glasgow traded fire with a Pureblood Sutherland while moving through the streets. The large casings of the rounds fell to the ground nearby, and when one of them rolled over and tapped against Diethard's leg, he hissed at the intensity of the heat before he shot forward to put some distance between himself and the hot metal.

"You wanted the scoop, Diethard. You just _had_ to have your precious scoop," Diethard scolded himself, shaking his head as he scooted over behind another dumpster nearby. Holding his camera under one arm, he reached up with the other arm and hand to make sure that his ear plugs were still inside his ears, as the proximity of the gunfire between Knightmares was almost akin to dueling thunder storms.

Still, looking down at the radio he'd picked up and the recording device he'd attached to it, he had to smile at his ingenuity. "If I get out of this alive..." he trailed off, before he frowned in realization that nothing he'd captured would be allowed on TV without his ass being executed for treason. Then he smirked. "There's always the internet," he muttered happily to himself.

Looking around, he then saw a broken board in a wooden fence nearby. The fence blocked a narrow alley between a building and a long concrete wall that formed the perimeter of the small lot that the dumpsters were placed in. Glancing over his shoulders at the two Knightmares fighting in the street, Diethard decided that he'd rather not die via giant mech. He quickly dashed over to the wooden fence and kicked at the rotting wood, making a hole large enough for him to crawl under.

As soon as he was on the other side of the fence, he quickly stood up and began running through the alley, slowing down as he neared the end before carefully peeking out around the corners for signs of danger. When he saw a group of Britannian infantry running around a street corner before hearing the sounds of gunfire, Diethard gulped and made a mad dash for the other side of the street. He had gotten plenty of footage, now he needed to get out of the ghetto alive.

* * *

 **Inside a Medical Transport Near the G1 Mobile Command Center, Thirty Minutes Later...**

Suzaku Kururugi slowly opened his eyes before closing them with a grimace. The harsh lights above him were mean and evil, and he wanted them to go away. "Ah-ah-ah!" sang a cheery voice that Suzaku recognized and dreaded.

"Time to wake up, Suzaku!" Lloyd Asplund sang cheerily as he stood next to Suzaku's medical bed. Suzaku reluctantly opened his eyes and sat up before noticing the indigo-haired Cecile Croomy looking at a medical report in her hands. She then looked over at him and smiled.

"Oh, good. I don't have to start CPR," she said humorously. Suzaku groaned in response before looking up at Lloyd, and then down at his bare chest. Well, it wasn't _completely_ bare. There were bandages wrapped around his waist along with medical gauze.

"How long have I been out?" Suzaku asked Cecile. She was wearing her usual orange and black uniform, while Lloyd was wearing his usual white lab coat and glasses. His lavender hair framed his face and glasses as his greyish blue eyes stared down at Suzaku with an expression that told Suzaku to expect trouble, especially with the genuine smile plastered to Lloyd's face.

"About thirty minutes," she said. "That's how long ago you were picked up by the medical transport," Cecile explained.

"And now that you're awake, it's time to get on your pilot suit," Lloyd sang. Suzaku's eyes widened at the statement. He should have known Lloyd would want him back in the lab to continue testing the Lancelot as soon as possible, but this time he _had_ to protest the genius's lack of concern for his well-being.

"W-What!? Hold on a minute, Lloyd! I was shot!" Suzaku retorted.

"Yes, but the bullet was stopped by a combination of your uniform and... this old antique," Lloyd said as he held up a dented gold pocket watch. " _This_ little trinket saved your life, Suzaku, by stopping the bullet. However, I think the internal mechanisms may have suffered some damage from the kinetic force of the impact. I'll see if I can repair the watch for you when I have the time, but until then I need you to get dressed and pilot the Lancelot," Lloyd said without stopping for breath.

Suzaku stared at Lloyd in disbelief. "Am I in Hell?" Suzaku asked rhetorically.

"Hell? Please, Suzaku! Don't be such a drama queen," Lloyd said, rolling his eyes. "Besides, the Lancelot is ready for field testing and this is the perfect field test!" Lloyd explained. "There are numerous reports of enemy Knightmare Frames being used by the terrorists in the ghetto, and that means plenty of data for us to collect after you fight them! Of course, that's assuming the Purebloods don't finish them all off _first_ ," Lloyd said with a frown.

Suzaku winced at the mention of the Purebloods. Men and women who looked down at practically ever Honorary Britannian and common person alike. The only one who didn't seem to fit the mold was their current leader, Margrave Jeremiah Gottwald. Shockingly enough, Jeremiah Gottwald was one of the few higher-ups under Clovis's command who willingly spoke to Suzaku _outside_ of work hours in a pleasant manner. Suzaku had always found this strange, but he knew better than to look a gift horse in the mouth. If the _leader_ of the crazed zealots was willing to treat him with courtesy and respect, then he wasn't going to question it, at least not out loud.

After being pulled from Lloyd's lab earlier in the day to participate in the hunt for the terrorists who had stolen a canister of poison gas, Suzaku had found himself under the command of Gottwald, who had taken it upon himself to be the supervising officer for all of the deployed Foreign Legion soldiers. Suzaku hadn't asked why, and he never expected to receive an answer either. Even before today, however, there was something about Gottwald that had always seemed off to him. Sure, there was always those rumors surrounding the man regarding the time he had spent in his earlier years as Empress Marianne vi Britannia's personal Knight, but Suzaku never paid them any mind... except for whenever he noticed the man's orange eyes and thought about how familiar they seemed to him at times.

"So... does Gottwald know that I'm being taken off the ground to pilot the Lancelot?" Suzaku asked Lloyd and Cecile. Lloyd opened his mouth to speak, but Cecile beat him to the punch.

"Yes, he was informed shortly before you woke up," Cecile replied.

"Yeah? How'd he take the news that he'd have one less soldier on the ground?" Suzaku asked her.

"He took it surprisingly well. Of course, he seemed a bit preoccupied. Apparently, he was chasing after a red Glasgow when we called him," Cecile elaborated.

"A red Glasgow? Hey, he mentioned that to me earlier too," Suzaku said, recalling the conversation he'd had with Jeremiah just after he had found Lelouch and C.C. _Wait a minute_...

Suzaku blinked in surprise as he remembered Lelouch and C.C. He hadn't heard a single word about them. Hopefully they had made it out of the ghetto intact by this point. Forcing himself to swing his legs around, Suzaku tried to stand up, only to gasp in pain and sit back down, holding a hand to his waist.

Cecile's eyes widened and she rushed over to him. "Take it easy," she said softly to him. Suzaku nodded his head in response. Cecile was among the few Britannians he'd met who didn't treat him like trash. In fact, she treated him very much like a younger sibling. She teased him and mocked him sometimes, but never with malicious intent. The relationship between the two of them was very much like that of a big sister and a little brother.

Cecile then looked at Lloyd with concern. "Lloyd, maybe we should hold off the Lancelot for a little while," Cecile said. Lloyd looked at her in irritation before shaking his head. Lloyd didn't hold anything against Suzaku, but he truly desired for the Lancelot to have its first field test as soon as possible. For Lloyd Asplund, people were just tools used to make machines work.

"Wait... when the ambulance found me, were there any other bodies in the area?" Suzaku asked, drawing both engineers' attentions. "Any civilians?" Suzaku asked them.

"Civilians? Well, we didn't ask," Cecile replied in a curious tone. "Wait a minute... Suzaku, is there something you're not telling us?" Cecile asked him suspiciously.

"Well... I was escorting some civilians to a subway tunnel where they could find safety, but... some of my fellow soldiers didn't agree with the idea," Suzaku explained. Cecile's gaze softened and she let out a sigh of remorse.

"So it wasn't a terrorist who shot you, was it?" Cecile asked Suzaku. Suzaku quietly shook his head in response. Cecile lowered her gaze and shook her head with a frown. She then looked up at Suzaku. "I'm sorry," she said softly.

"Ah, Suzaku. Always trying to be the knight in shining armor," Lloyd said humorously. "And now... you can finally show off that armor by _piloting the Lancelot!_ " Lloyd insisted excitedly.

"Lloyd, no! He's in no condition to pilot," Cecile said firmly. "He's the only one who can handle the Lancelot in the first place, and if he goes out there now he'll probably die," Cecile warned. "Do you really want to lose the only pilot who can handle your machine?" she asked him with narrowed eyes.

Lloyd let out a sigh as his shoulders slumped. "God dammit. Fine, I guess there'll be another time," Lloyd relented reluctantly. "So... in the meantime, who wants pudding?"

* * *

 **Elsewhere In The Shinjuku Ghetto...**

Jeremiah Gottwald aimed his Sutherland's assault rifle at the red Glasgow and fired a short burst at it. The red machine dodged the bullets by centimeters and swerved back behind the wreckage of a burning convenience store before opening fire with their own assault rifle, forcing Jeremiah to dodge as well. Jeremiah aimed and fired again, grinning as his opponent gave him a genuine challenge. "I haven't had this much fun in ages," he quipped to himself.

He then noticed the presence of the civilians on the ground around them. He adjusted his movements accordingly to avoid them. He was a Knightmare pilot, and thus his only targets would be other Knightmares and offensive vehicles such as tanks and aircraft. Since the terrorists did not have tanks and aircraft, that meant his options were limited strictly to Knightmares and transports with people using heavy weapons.

In one of the ruined buildings nearby, several dozen civilians made their way to a basement door, covering their ears as the two Knightmares traded fire with one another. Two resistance fighters were busy ushering the people into the basement as they kept glancing back at the dueling Knightmares. As the Sutherland backed up towards them, they gulped in fright before the machine sped forward to charge the red Glasgow, which nimbly leapt away after retracting its landspinners.

On the corner of a nearby street, several more civilians were forced to take cover as the two Knightmares traded fire once again, dodging each other's rounds. The rounds themselves tore through the air and connected with rubble and buildings, causing debris to fall to the ground. The civilians scattered and ran for their lives as the collateral damage around them increased.

Inside the red Glasgow's cockpit, Kallen Stadtfeld/Kozuki was seething. "Dammit! Why can't I shake him!?" she yelled in anger. So far her only recourse against the Sutherland had been using the damaged structures around her as cover to evade his attacks, but she was starting to run out of cover, and her prized custom Glasgow, despite its various modifications, was no match for a Sutherland out in the open, at least not one that was being piloted by someone who was competent.

Checking the ammo counter for the assault rifle, Kallen grimaced. There were only enough rounds left for two more bursts. She'd have to conserve her ammo somehow, and then she would- _ **BOOM!**_

Kallen gasped and forced her Glasgow to leap away from the support pillar of an office building as the Sutherland detonated part of it with an explosive. As she leapt away, the Sutherland opened fire and hit the assault rifle, damaging the weapon. "Shit!" Kallen swore as she forced the Glasgow to hold the weapon as a club.

" _ **Defiant to the end! Admirable but ultimately futile,**_ " the voice of the Sutherland's pilot said over its speaker system before opening fire and blowing the length of the rifle to shrapnel and twisted metal. Kallen dropped the rifle from the Glasgow's hands before hatching a plan. She leaned the machine low and charged forward, dodging as the Sutherland opened fire. Several rounds hit the Glasgow, but fortunately the added armor provided enough protection to keep it intact.

 _Unfortunately_ , the Sutherland had more ammunition to spare, and the Glasgow's additional armor was only good for so many hits. As she strafed the incoming fire, Kallen let out a battle cry before slamming the Glasgow into the Sutherland's frame, knocking it back. Kallen struck again and again with the Glasgow's limbs before the Sutherland grabbed the older machine's right arm and held it in place, quickly bringing up its rifle to bear.

Kallen quickly activated an emergency protocol and blew a specialized circuit around the arm, detaching it from the Glasgow's main body. She then rolled the Glasgow away as the arm soon detonated in the grasp of the Sutherland, destroying its mechanical hand in the process. Kallen quickly put the Glasgow to full speed as she took cover in the ruins of the Shinjuku cityscape, leaving her opponent far behind.

That battle had _not_ gone as Kallen had intended. She had used up all of her ammo, she had lost her rifle, and now her Glasgow was missing an arm to boot. She could only hope that she would be able to meet up with Ohgi and the others soon, because she needed the support. Sadly, because the Britannians had caused so much destruction to the ghetto, she couldn't even recognize which street she was on anymore.

 _This day just keeps getting better and better_ , Kallen thought to herself sarcastically. Activating her Glasgow's Factsphere Sensor, she soon got a better read on the layout of the land... and a reminder that the Sutherland behind her was not giving up so easily. "Oh, come _on!_ " Kallen spat in frustration. "Who the hell is this guy!?"

" _Pilot of the red Glasgow, can you hear me?_ " A voice suddenly asked over Kallen's makeshift radio com, which consisted of a radio taped to the wall of the cockpit. Her eyes widened in confusion, as she didn't recognize this voice. "Who is this?" Kallen asked into the radio.

" _I am an ally against Britannia. For convenience, you may refer to me as Kay-One_ ," the voice said over the radio. Kallen nodded her head. " _Now, what I need you to do is go to the west entrance of the ghetto. Can you reach it?_ " K-1 asked her.

"Why?" Kallen asked him. "What's at the West entrance?" she asked him as she activated her Factsphere Sensor. She wasn't too far away from the entrance, but it would still be a bit of a task to evade the Sutherland while making her way there. She had only her slash harkens left, and the Sutherland's pilot had proven himself to be extremely adept at maneuvering his machine to evade oncoming attacks.

" _A train. You're going to lead the Sutherland into an oncoming train_ ," K-1 said. Kallen's eyes widened. " _How much time is left on your energy filler?_ " K-1 then asked her.

Kallen checked the energy monitor. "About thirty minutes worth," she replied. " _That's plenty of time_ ," K-1 said in response. " _By the way, calling you 'pilot of the red Glasgow' is rather cumbersome, so I'm giving you a code name. Q-One is your new identifier_ ," K-1 said.

"Fine. Whatever," Kallen said flippantly as she followed K-1's instructions and made her way through the city towards the tracks. The Sutherland was hot on her trail, and she found herself doubling back around and through wreckage to throw him off balance just to give herself the time and distance she would need in order to position her Glasgow to make the leap from ground level up to her destination. When she finally arrived, she forced her Glasgow to leap onto the tracks, retracting her landspinners temporarily before re-deploying them as she moved forward. She could see the oncoming train in the distance.

She could also hear the sound of another machine climbing onto the tracks behind her. Activating her Factsphere Sensor again, she discovered that there were _two_ Sutherlands on her tail. "Shit!" Kallen swore. "I've got two of the bastards chasing me now!" she exclaimed.

" _Stay focused, Q-One. Just lead them to the train, and then jump onto it at the last second. Can you do that?_ " K-1 asked her over the radio. Kallen smirked in response as she calculated the speed of the oncoming train. "Yeah. I can do that," she said with a grin.

Kallen kept moving her Glasgow forward, keeping the feet and landspinners moving on the rails to maintain proper alignment with the train as the two Sutherlands followed her. She was almost at the train. Her heart was beating faster than ever as the adrenaline flowed through her. She was almost there.

 _Now!_

Kallen retracted the landspinners and forced her Glasgow to leap up to the roof of the train cars, while the two Sutherland's behind her were caught off guard. The first one, missing its left hand, forced itself to slow down and assume a leaning stance as the train moved toward it. Due to the train's less than lethal speed, the Sutherland was only pushed back a few meters by the vehicle, although the pilot did receive a small amount of kickback inside the cockpit thanks to the inertia of the train transferring into the Knightmare.

" _ **Go after her!**_ " Jeremiah shouted over the speakers of his Sutherland to the Pureblood behind him. The other Sutherland moved around and leapt into the air, only for a slash harken to fly into it, slicing its Factsphere Sensor to pieces, knocking the machine off balance and sending it falling to the ground, where it skidded off of the tracks.

"What the hell!?" Jeremiah asked inside his cockpit. Using his Factsphere sensor, he located another Sutherland nearby with a Friendly IFF tag, also bearing Pureblood colors. It was holding position in an open section of a ruined building nearby. "Watch your aim, you moron!" he shouted at the "friendly" unit.

The other Sutherland turned its attention to Jeremiah. "Identify yourself and your unit!" Jeremiah ordered over the com. The Sutherland responded by aiming its rifle at him and opening fire, blowing away the landspinner of his machine's left leg and ripping apart the remains of the left arm.

"Dammit!" Jeremiah spat as he realized that a terrorist had hijacked a Sutherland. He backed up his machine and tried to escape, only for the hijacked Sutherland to open fire and damage his machine's right leg as well. Jeremiah then activated the emergency ejection system of his Sutherland, just as the red Glasgow returned to his position. His eyes widened as he glanced at the countdown timer, which had just reached zero.

The cockpit activated its rocket boosters and shot itself out of the Knightmare Frame and away from the train, traveling several hundred meters into the air before deploying parachutes to slow itself down as it descended into the ruined city below.

Looking around at the ruined building, Kallen soon noticed the Sutherland parked in the blown open section. _Who is this K-1? Why is he helping us?_

" _Good job, Q-One. Your companions should be arriving any minute now_ ," K-1 said over the radio. Kallen raised an eyebrow at this statement. She then activated her Factsphere Sensor and noticed the small number of her fellow resistance fighters approaching on foot. There were about six of them, including both Ohgi's group and Yoshida's group.

" _ **Ohgi! Were you guys contacted on the radio too?**_ " Kallen asked over her Glasgow's speaker system. As the small group of rebels reached the train, Ohgi nodded his head. "You mean Kay-One!? Yeah, we heard him!" Ohgi called out to the red Knightmare.

" _ **Where are Kanazawa and Shizuka?**_ " Kallen asked over the speakers. Ohgi solemnly shook his head. "They didn't make it. They were caught in an ambush after they led some Sutherlands away from us," Ohgi replied. "I think we're all that's left," he added, looking around at Toru Yoshida, Naomi Inoue, Yoshitaka Minami, Kento Sugiyama, and Shinnichiro Tamaki.

" _I am sorry for your losses. But, now that all of you are together, I give you the tools needed to obtain victory_ ," K-1 said over their radios. Ohgi picked up his radio and held it close. "What do you mean by that?" Ohgi asked curiously as he noticed the Sutherland in the ruined building nearby.

" _You, with the headband and the curly hair, Ohgi? Are you the leader?_ " K-1 asked over the radio. Ohgi nodded his head as he looked at the Sutherland. "Y-Yeah," Ohgi replied somewhat nervously. " _Good. I hereby dub you Kay-Two. The rest of your people will receive additional code names soon enough_ ," K-1 said over the radio.

"You still haven't answered my question. What did you mean by the tools needed for victory? What exactly is this train carrying?" Ohgi asked into the radio.

" _Inside these train cars are empty Knightmare Frames, all with activation keys and default code numbers just waiting to be used_ ," K-1 explained. Ohgi's eyes widened before he ran over to the first train car. "Kallen, open the doors of this thing," Ohgi ordered.

The red Glasgow used its remaining arm to open the doors of the train cars, revealing several Sutherland Knightmares inside. " _I trust you understand the basics of piloting a Knightmare, Kay-Two?_ " K-1 asked over the radio. "Yeah. I pilot a Dream Frame at my construction job," Ohgi replied. Dream Frames were basically upgraded Ganymede units designed for usage in industrial settings. Despite being Ganymede models, their basic controls were as up to date as the Sutherlands and Gloucesters found in the military.

Walking over to the open train car, Tamaki's eyes widened in astonishment. "Holy shit!" Tamaki exclaimed in amazement, before he paused and noticed something odd. "Wait a minute... why are there train cars full of Knightmare Frames but not their pilots?" Tamaki asked out loud as he noticed wondered why the train car had been filled with _empty_ Knightmares. "What's the point of sending Knightmares to the battlefield if you don't have anyone ready to use them as soon as they arrive?" he added curiously.

Despite Shinnichiro Tamaki's loud mouthed attitude, he was _not_ a complete moron. He simply tended to open his mouth too often and didn't think before he acted. He was also a very gifted mechanic and cook, although it was his skill as a mechanic that had kept him in Ohgi's good graces since he'd joined their resistance group.

"Tamaki, don't look a gift horse in the mouth," Ohgi snapped as he climbed up into the first car and ran over to the nearest Knightmare Frame. He climbed up into the cockpit and made his way into the pilot seat, where he quickly strapped on the safety harness and grabbed the activation key from the spot it was taped to on the ceiling. He read the generic default activation code and entered it into the main computer after inserting the key.

"Heh, all right," Ohgi said with a grin. He then grabbed the radio. "Hey, is there a reason you're using all of these code names?" Ohgi asked K-1. " _These channels could be intercepted at any time. It's best to be cautious_ ," K-1 replied.

Ohgi soon brought the Knightmare to life and forced it to move out of the train car. " _ **Okay**_ **,** _ **everybody, grab a Sutherland and mount up**_ ," Ohgi barked over the speakers. The rest of the group quickly climbed into the open train cars and made their way into the prone Knightmare Frames.

" _Wait, I want Q-One to remain in the Glasgow. The enemy recognizes her machine, so I have a special plan for it_ ," K-1 said over the radio.

"Kallen, you heard the man. Stay in your Glasgow," Ohgi said over the radio. " _You got it, but I've only got fifteen minutes left on the energy filler_ ," Kallen replied.

" _Refill it and then prepare to run decoy_ ," K-1 said over the radio. Kallen did as instructed while K-1 continued giving instructions to Ohgi.

" _Uh, hey, these things have their IFF transponders removed. Are we sure this isn't a trap?_ " Tamaki asked over the radio.

"Tamaki, the enemy has superior numbers and weaponry. They don't need to set traps for us," Ohgi replied over the radio. The radio came to life again as K-1 began assigning code names to everyone. He then sent them out to assigned points throughout the city.

* * *

 **The G-1 Mobile Command Center...**

Bartley looked at the map on the main console in front of him. A large section of the ghetto had been swept through. Unfortunately, the truck had been found with the capsule opened, meaning that C.C. had escaped. Clovis would have his head for his inability to retrieve the test subject. It had been difficult enough to capture her in the first place, and now that she was on the loose... Bartley shuddered at the thought of Clovis finding out.

" _General, we've run into a problem. One of our units reports that a Sutherland was hijacked by a terrorist_ ," Lieutenant Wallerton reported over the com line. "Identify the hijacked unit's ID code and take it out," Bartley replied. " _Understood. We'll try to find it, but we've also got a red Glasgow running around too_ ," Wallerton responded.

"Then split your men up and take them both out. Continue eradicating the Elevens and make sure that no one leaves the ghetto alive," Bartley said sternly. It wasn't that he hated the Japanese, but in order to save his skin, he was going to need to eliminate all potential witnesses to this event, and that meant some innocents would have to be sacrificed. It was just his luck that most of the soldiers under his command, especially the Purebloods, were all too eager to follow such an order.

* * *

 **Back On The Streets, A Short Time Later...**

Ohgi eyed the Factsphere Sensor monitor in his Sutherland as his radio came to life. " _Kay-Two, Q-One is on her way. She will reach the designated position in twenty-three seconds with two enemy Knightmares on her tail. Shoot them through the walls_ ," K-1 said over the radio.

Ohgi nodded his head. "Okay, you heard him. Everyone double check your weapons," Ohgi said over the radio. " _Are you sure this is gonna work!?_ " Tamaki shrieked over the radio. "Tamaki, just do it," Ohgi said sternly as he checked his Factsphere Sensor. Kallen was just about to pass through the trap, a narrow path between a concrete wall and a wrecked garage.

"Okay, remember people: short controlled bursts," Ohgi said into the radio. " _Good reminder. It wouldn't do to waste all of your ammo at once_ ," K-1 said in agreement.

Kallen's red Glasgow sped forward as two Sutherlands tailed her. She weaved from left to right to keep her machine out of their fire as they kept up the chase. Just a few more seconds and she would be home free.

The Sutherlands fired at her and she forced her Glasgow to weave left and right faster as she saw her opening up ahead. A large round impacted the armor on her machine before she weaved the Glasgow to the right as she leaned it to the left. She was almost upon the exit.

Almost there. Just a few more seconds aaaaaannd... there it was. Kallen spun the Glasgow and took a left turn, leaving billowing dust cloud in her wake.

"Now!" Ohgi barked over the radio as the two Pureblood Sutherlands entered the narrow space between two concrete structures. The hijacked Sutherlands opened fire with their assault rifles, sending oversized bullets tearing through the air and the concrete before ripping into the Britannian Sutherlands. The pilots never had a chance to react as they were torn to shreds by the giant rounds piercing through the hulls of their mighty war machines.

The wrecked Knightmares toppled over. "Okay, Sugiyama, Inoue, grab their spare ammo and lets move to the next point," Ohgi said over the radio. " _Affirmative_ ," Inoue and Sugiyama replied in unison.

" _Kay-Two, your next destination is at the following grid points_ ," K-1 said before sending the coordinates over to Ohgi's Sutherland. "Coordinates received," Ohgi said into his radio. "Let's go, guys! We've got more Brits to spank," Ohgi said. For the first time since he'd joined the resistance, he felt as though he was finally making an impact.

* * *

 **[ The Tide Turns... Montage Style - Set to **_**Covenant Dance**_ **from Halo 1 ]**

Inside the G-1 Mobile Command Center, Bartley watches with apprehension as more Britannian units begin to take fire and fall on the map. Sweat pours down his face as he begins to panic.

Inside the cockpit of his Sutherland, Lelouch smirks as he directs Kallen and the others to a new destination. C.C. raises an eyebrow as she looks between Lelouch and the Factsphere monitor in front of them, seeing the designations of various troops and Knightmares positioned throughout the ghetto. Listening to Lelouch give orders, C.C. smirks.

Several Britannian Sutherlands enter a deserted street only to find themselves being fired upon by Knightmares hidden in the ruins of the structures around them. Two of the Britannian Knightmares manage to fire their weapons, but they miss and are quickly taken down by concentrated fire from the Resistance Sutherlands.

Inside his Sutherland, Lelouch gives more orders to the Resistance fighters. He keeps his eyes on the Factsphere monitor in front of him as various Britannian units are displayed in multiple positions around the city.

A pair of Britannian tanks open fire at a group of fleeing civilians near a demolished structure, blowing several of them to bloody gibs. Two Resistance Sutherlands appear and open fire, destroying the tanks as the surviving civilians continue to flee.

Inside the G-1 Mobile Command Center, Bartley barks orders as he keeps his eyes on the tactical map display in front of him, watching as various Britannian units move about on the battlefield.

Britannian infantry close in on a group of civilians retreating to a grocery store, only for a Sutherland to open fire on the infantry before speeding off. The civilians continue their efforts to enter the store and hide.

In the G-1 Mobile Command Center, Bartley's eyes widen in shock as the number of troops and Knightmares on his main screen begin dropping like flies, with numerous casualties being reported by field officers.

The Resistance Sutherlands take positions in a cluster of buildings before opening fire at Pureblood Sutherlands passing through an intersection in the street. Two more Sutherlands behind them start to open fire, only for Resistance Sutherlands hidden behind them to take them out.

Inside the cockpit of his Sutherland, Lelouch switches through various radio frequencies to intercept communication chatter amongst the Britannian forces. He soon smirks and C.C. watches with interest as Lelouch continues communicating to the Resistance fighters.

 **[ End Montage]**

* * *

"There's a lot of enemy units stationed at those points," Ohgi noted as he received the latest destination from K-1 over the radio. Looking at the Factsphere monitor in front of him, Ohgi frowned at the number of troops, artillery, and Knightmares being displayed.

" _Yes, but you'll be moving out of sight by taking the subway system to maneuver beneath them. Once you've reached the assigned positions, you will destroy the ground underneath the enemy and collapse them into the subway. Taking out the majority of the Britannian forces in one fell swoop should give them cause to retreat_ ," K-1 said over the radio.

"What happens if the damage is too great? What is more than the intended area begins to collapse? There are sections of the subways where civilians are hiding, Kay-One. The whole reason we're fighting back now is to protect those people, and if we kill them... then there's no point in resisting anymore," Ohgi said.

" _I can understand your conviction, Kay-Two. And I cannot promise that there won't be casualties, but perhaps I can modify this plan. Go under ground with P-One, P-Four, and P-Five, while Q-One, P-Three, and P-Two draw the attention of the Britannians. You and the others will sweep the area and escort any civilians you find to subway stations or locations where they can escape a potential collapse, and then Q-One's group will lead the Britannians back to the original location and you can collapse the subway tunnels beneath them_ ," K-1 said.

Ohgi mulled it over in his mind. "Yeah. Okay, I can live with that. All right then, let's do it," Ohgi finally said.

* * *

 **The Outskirts of the Shinjuku Ghetto...**

Climbing up an embankment, Diethard Ried let out a groan as he made his way through the thicket and underbrush. He was covered in dirt and dust, along with a few scratches here and there, but otherwise he was in decent condition. Looking at his car parked near a ridge, Diethard let out a chuckle of relief.

As he attempted to even out his breathing, he turned around to look out at the ghetto behind him. Smoke was still rising from the cityscape, and artillery fire could still be heard, along with the firing of Knightmare weapons. Apparently things had yet to die down. Considering how many places there were for people to hide and how many terrorists were hiding out there, Diethard figured it would probably be another few hours before the fighting stopped.

He then looked down at his camera and makeshift radio recorder. "So I didn't get _everything_ ," he quipped. "But... I'm alive," he said with a pant. "That's gotta count for _something_ ," he said to himself before he resumed making his way up to his car. He had parked himself in a secluded location, so he was pretty certain that no one was going to find him.

After unlocking the doors, he opened the trunk and carefully deposited his gear, before grabbing a bag full of spare clothes to change into. He would get a shower after returning to his apartment. For the time being, he was just going to sit in his car and cool down.

* * *

 **The Shinjuku Ghetto...**

Lelouch looked at the Factsphere monitor in front of him. Ohgi had just reported that he and the others were escorting several groups of civilians through the subway tunnels to a safer location. Kallen had reported that she, P-3, and P-2 had drawn the attention of several Sutherlands and were leading them on a chase away from the subway roof until the 2nd Team could complete their goal.

"My, what an interesting day it's been," C.C. quipped as she looked at the screen in front of Lelouch. Lelouch nodded his head in agreement. "I must say I'm impressed with how well you're doing, considering your lack of experience," she added.

"Well, there are numerous factors involved," Lelouch said calmly. His response reminded C.C. of a man she'd known very well in the past. "But I suppose the most important factor here is that I had the element of surprise at the start," Lelouch explained. "After all, the Britannians never expected someone to commandeer one of their own Knightmares."

"No, I suppose not. And none of them seem to be aware of your Geass either," C.C. said.

"My _what?_ " Lelouch asked her in response.

"Geass is the name of the power I've given you. It's a very old word, but fitting for a very old power," C.C. explained. Lelouch nodded his head in response.

" _This is Q-One! Have the others gotten the civilians out of the way yet!?_ " Kallen asked over the radio.

"Negative, Q-One," Lelouch replied. "Kay-Two reported that they're still escorting them to safety. He will report when his unit has returned to the designated location," he explained.

" _Well they'd better hurry up! I can only lead these guys away for so long before I run out of routes to take them down. Eventually they might wisen up to what I'm doing!_ " Kallen retorted over the radio.

 **With Kallen...**

Weaving her Glasgow through the streets of Shinjuku, Kallen kept an eye on her Factsphere monitor as she led the Britannians on a wild chase. Inoue and Yoshida had also led several other Knightmares on a wild chase, but neither of them were as skilled as Kallen. She could easily guarantee her own survival, but the others might not be so lucky.

Seeing a pile of rubble on the street ahead, Kallen forced her Glasgow to crouch as it sped forward before leaping into the air over the rubble. The five Sutherlands behind her mimicked her actions as they continued firing at her. Eyeing an intersection up ahead, Kallen grinned as she leaned her machine to the left and turned before straightening out. She then performed the same action as she led the Knightmares in a circle around the tall building before straightening out and going down a road surrounded by bodies.

After several minutes of being chase, Kallen was beginning to worry. She still hadn't heard anything from Inoue and Yoshida yet, but she didn't dare distract them by trying to contact them. That would just increase their chances of death.

Kallen grimaced when she felt her Knightmare shake slightly. A round from the pursuing Sutherland's had managed to impact one of its armored spots. Nothing critical had been damaged, but the Glasgow could still only take so much punishment before it eventually broke down.

Leaning the mech forward, Kallen listened as her radio came to life. " _Q-One, Second Team reports that they have completed their secondary objective. They are now returning to the target location to complete the primary objective. Prepare to return there ASAP_ ," K-1 said over the radio.

"Affirmative!" Kallen replied with a grin. She looked at her Factsphere monitor and noted how many Sutherlands were chasing her. "One more lap around the circuit. Winner takes all," Kallen quipped as she plotted a course that would take her and the pursuing Knightmares back to the ground above the subway tunnels.

 **With Ohgi...**

Looking at the Factsphere monitor in front of him, Ohgi narrowed his eyes. He and his team were right underneath the roof of the subway. He and the others maneuvered themselves into position near their escape routes as they took aim at the structural supports. The ground above them shook ever so slightly. "Kay-One, this is Kay-Two. Second Team is in position and ready," Ohgi said over the radio.

" _Affirmative, Kay-Two. Q-One is on her way back to the target location. P-Two and P-Three have reportedly ejected from their Knightmares and their pursuers are returning to the target zone. Wait for my signal_ ," K-1 replied over the radio. Ohgi nodded his head in affirmation, not that K-1 could see him.

After a few more minutes of waiting, Ohgi heard the radio come to life again. " _This is Q-One! I am nearing the target zone! Visual confirmation of enemies standing by while being pursued!_ " Kallen reported over the radio. Ohgi gulped as he readied his Sutherland's slash harkens and aimed them at the support pillars, the other Knightmares doing the same.

" _ETA is thirty seconds!_ " Kallen reported over the radio. Ohgi nodded his head. " _I'm coming in hot!_ " Kallen soon added over the radio.

 **With Kallen...**

Seeing the large group of Britannian Knightmares and armor up ahead, Kallen narrowed her eyes as she noted the five Sutherlands chasing her. _Just remember the plan_ , Kallen thought to herself as she glanced at the emergency eject button. "It's been fun, Red Dragon, but sometimes you can't win without making a sacrifice," Kallen said apologetically to the machine she was piloting.

00:00:15 Seconds...

The landspinners screamed as Kallen pushed them to their limits, weaving the Glasgow back and forth to evade gun fire from both sides.

00:00:13 Seconds...

In the tunnels below, Ohgi and the others fired their slash harkens at the structural supports.

00:00:10 Seconds...

Kallen grimaced as she felt the Glasgow shudder from large rounds impacting it. A warning klaxon blared inside the cockpit. "I know! I _know!_ " Kallen snapped at the klaxon and the warning on one of the screens in the cockpit.

00:00:07 Seconds...

"Come on, baby! You can make it!" Kallen grunted as she neared the target zone, feeling the Knightmare shudder as the Sutherlands landed more hits on it.

00:00:03 Seconds to impact...

"Target reached!" Kallen screamed before hitting the emergency eject button. Her Knightmare's cockpit activated its rocket boosters and pushed itself out of the Frame, jetting away in an arc up into the air as the Sutherlands chased the empty Frame into the other Sutherlands and tanks that filled up the area.

Down below, four Sutherlands pulled at the structural supports with their slash harkens before opening fire with their guns and retracting the harkens as they sped away. The structural supports gave way and the ceiling began to crack before crumbling. The ground beneath the Britannian forces collapsed, taking two dozen Knightmare frames, eight tanks, and thirty troops down with it into the tunnels below.

* * *

 **Inside the G-1 Mobile Command Center...**

"This... this can't be happening," Bartley muttered in disbelief. _How the hell are these Elevens beating us!? How did they gain access to our Knightmares!? Wait... if they have access to our Knightmares, then they have access to our radio frequencies! That's how they've been keeping up with us_ , Bartley realized.

 _Maybe... we can play that against them_ , he realized with a grin. _Yes, let's set a trap for them_ , he plotted. He began looking at the remaining units on the battlefield. He still had a few lone Sutherlands and groups of infantry in various spots, but nothing that could put up a serious fight against the coordinated efforts the terrorists were currently displaying, at least not by themselves.

He then noticed how he still had a solid defense line by the G-1 Command Center. An idea occurred to him. It was a risky idea, but at this point it was better than nothing.

* * *

 **With Lelouch...**

Watching the Factsphere monitor in front of him and listening to radio chatter, Lelouch grinned at what was happening. "Kay-One, pick up Q-One and have P-Five and P-Four pick up the others and then await further orders. General Bartley is moving Knightmares away from his defense line," Lelouch reported.

" _So he'll be vulnerable_ ," K-2 replied over the radio. Lelouch nodded his head. He couldn't believe his luck at how desperate Bartley had become. It was almost too good to be true.

He prepared to radio into the others for their final objective, until a nagging sensation in the back of his mind forced him to pause.

 _What if... it_ _ **is**_ _too good to be true?_ Lelouch frowned as he watched the Britannian IFF tags begin reducing speed as they moved away from the G-1 Mobile Command Center. "Why are they slowing down?" he asked rhetorically.

 _Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, Lelouch. He's made himself vulnerable. We may not have another shot, but what if... wait a minute_ , Lelouch thought to himself as he studied the movements of the Britannian IFF tags on the Factsphere monitor. All of the front line units were slowly making their way to the G-1, while the recently deployed guard units were now just milling about, making very slow progress through the ghetto, moving around in circles. They were staying within a certain distance of the G-1 Command Center.

Something about this felt familiar to him. It felt _very_ familiar. "Son of a _bitch!_ " Lelouch swore as realization dawned on him. C.C. raised an eyebrow at Lelouch's outburst.

"A penny for your thoughts?" C.C. asked him curiously.

"Bartley's smarter than I thought," Lelouch said with a smirk. "He's laying a trap, and I almost fell for it," he admitted. C.C. tilted her head curiously at him.

"How so?" she asked him.

"Look at how the Britannian forces are spread out," Lelouch said as he pointed to the Factsphere monitor. "See how the farthest units are moving in, but the others are staying close?"

C.C. nodded her head in affirmation.

"He's kept his forces far enough away to make a gap in his defenses, but he's keeping them close enough that they can be easily recalled at a moments notice," Lelouch explained. C.C. looked at him with wide eyes. "He's baiting us," he simplified.

"How did you identify his strategy?" C.C. asked Lelouch.

"I did something similar today during a chess match with a noble. I deliberately made my King vulnerable so that my opponent would lower his guard and underestimate me, allowing me to lure him into a trap," Lelouch explained with a smirk. "Bartley's doing the same thing," he added.

"He's caught on to us by this point, so he's trying to lure us into a trap, using himself as the bait. The gap in his defenses is wide enough for our Knightmares to pass through _seemingly_ undetected, but the truth is that his guard forces are just close enough that once we enter visual range, he can call them back and trap us. The G-1 isn't defenseless either, as it has anti-Knightmare defenses built into it," Lelouch continued. "And the other forces moving in through the ghetto will be a contingency to reinforce the guards if we manage to break their lines and try to retreat," Lelouch added.

"Huh. Interesting," C.C. noted. "So, what are you going to do?" she asked him.

Lelouch looked at her and smirked. "I'm gonna take the bait," he said. C.C.'s eyes widened in response and she blinked in confusion.

"But, you just said-" "Bartley's expecting _Knightmares_ , Cee-Two. He knows that we've hijacked Knightmare Frames, and that's what he's expecting. He _won't_ be expecting a footsoldier to slip through, however," Lelouch interrupted her.

C.C.'s wide eyes soon narrowed and she looked at Lelouch with a smirk. "Hm, I like the way you think, Boy," C.C. said in appreciation of Lelouch's plan. "But, you're gonna need uniforms for _two_ foot soldiers," C.C. added.

Lelouch looked at her questioningly. "I'm going with you. I have unfinished business with Bartley, as well as Clovis if he's in there," C.C. explained. "Bartley and Clovis both personally oversaw many of the experiments performed on me. Hell hath no fury like a woman tortured," C.C. finished with a frighteningly sinister smile on her face. Lelouch gulped before turning to the radio.

"Kay-Two, this is Kay-One. Remain on standby. The gap in General Bartley's defense line is a trap," Lelouch said. "He's caught on to us, so the moment we move in to strike, he'll have over a dozen Knightmares ready to fall back and block our escape once we get within visual range of the Gee-One Command Center," he explained.

" _Damn. Just when I thought things were looking up and we could finally put an end to this_ ," Ohgi said over the radio.

"Oh, we'll put an end to it, but not with a final assault. More subtle methods are required. You and the others stay hidden and make sure that any civilians you encounter are escorted somewhere safe," Lelouch said. "I'll take care of General Bartley," he added.

" _What? But you just said that it was a trap_ ," Ohgi retorted over the radio.

"That I did, but I'm gonna use his trap against him. Trust me, Kay-Two. You'll know when I've reached Bartley. Kay-One, out," Lelouch said before turning off the radio. He looked over at C.C. as he parked the Sutherland and removed his safety harness. He then quickly followed C.C. out of the cockpit before making his way to the ground with her.

* * *

 **The G-1 Mobile Command Center, 30 Minutes Later...**

Standing guard outside one of the entrances to the G-1, a sentry noticed two soldiers moving his way. One of them appeared to be leaning on the other for support, while the second one was carrying them as they walked toward him. There looked to be dirt and some blood stains on the soldiers' armor, but the sentry couldn't tell if it was the soldiers' blood or that of an Eleven. The sentry gripped his rifle tightly as the two drew closer.

After they were a few meters away, the sentry aimed his rifle at them and ordered them to halt. The two stopped moving. "Identify yourselves and your respective unit!" the sentry barked firmly.

The one soldier let go of the other and removed his helmet, before a red bird flew forth from his left eye. The sentry, not wearing the face-protection of the standard soldiers, quickly found himself under new management. "You will let us enter the Gee-One without interference along with all necessary access codes and keys. You will report nothing out of the ordinary to your comrades and/or superiors if questioned. You will give us your weapons and spare ammunition," Lelouch ordered calmly.

The sentry smiled as he gladly handed over his rifle and pistol to the duo, along with two spare magazines for the rifle and one spare magazine for the pistol, with C.C. taking the rifle while holding the pistol for Lelouch. She still had the pistol she'd taken earlier from the restaurant with her. Meanwhile, Lelouch maintained eye contact with the sentry as he contemplated his next set of orders for the man. "Now, you will go take a nap in a spot five meters away from here and then forget our encounter when you wake up," Lelouch ordered.

The soldier saluted him before opening the door for Lelouch and giving him an Access Key. He then walked away and began laying down on the rough cement nearby to take his nap. Lelouch smirked before putting his helmet back on and leading C.C. into the G-1's interior. "I'm gonna go find someone to disable the security systems for us," Lelouch said to her as they entered a small corridor. C.C. nodded her head in agreement with his plan as they began moving through the command center.

 **The Bridge of the G-1 Mobile Command Center, 15 Minutes Later...**

General Bartley Asprius growled when he heard the door open to the bridge. "What is it?" he asked as he turned around to look at whoever had entered the room. He saw two soldiers in standard gear, both of them aiming their weapons at him and his staff. "What the hell are you do... oh shit," Bartley said as he realized what was going on.

His fellow officers made to draw their weapons, only for the two "soldiers" to open fire, with one of them showing signs of being a newbie, while the other one was far more composed and confidant, easily hitting their targets with aim and efficiency. Just as Bartley reached for his own sidearm, the competent soldier swapped out a magazine for a fresh one and inserted it into the pistol before chambering a round and activating the laser targeting system. The red dot was clearly visible on Bartley's chest as he paused his actions. The other soldier had just finished taking down a lieutenant with three rounds to the chest.

They then aimed their gun at the security cameras stationed throughout the room, taking them out one at a time, albeit with some swearing as they missed their early shots. The "soldier" finally began marching over to the cameras and just shooting them at point blank, one at a time until their were satisfied before marching over to the entrance and turning off the lights, leaving only the glow of the computer systems and tactical battle maps illuminating the room as the infiltrator returned to their partner's side.

" **I think I'm getting the hang of this** ," a male voice said from inside the helmet as he looked at his gun before glancing around the room one more time. His gaze then fell upon Bartley. " **General Bartley Asprius. Nice to finally meet you face to face** ," the "soldier" said to him in the manner of a man assured of his own victory.

Standing up to his full height, Bartley looked the two soldiers up and down. "What are your demands?" he asked them tersely. He could already predict the most basic of demands that they could make.

" **You make this too easy. First order of business: order a cease fire to all Britannian troops in the ghetto** ," the inexperienced soldier demanded.

"And if I refuse?" Bartley asked him. The "soldier" activated the laser targeting system of the pistol and aimed it at Bartley's head. " **Does that answer your question?** " he asked him.

Bartley sighed before slowly nodding his head. "Very well," Bartley said with reluctance before he turned to walk to the communications console. He pressed a button that would allow him to broadcast on all Britannian channels to all units before ordering his units to stand down. It was something that Clovis had insisted be built into the G-1 for him to make things go faster.

" **Now, say exactly what I tell you to say, or else...** " the male insurgent said. The other insurgent aimed the gun down toward Bartley's crotch, causing him to gasp in fear. Bartley nodded his head and complied once again.

* * *

 **Out In the Streets of Shinjuku Ghetto...**

Sitting in the cockpit of his stolen Sutherland, Ohgi listened to radio chatter as General Bartley's voice spoke. " _ **This is General Bartley Asprius to all Britannian forces in the Shinjuku Ghetto, all forces are ordered to cease fire at once. You are also to cease destruction of any buildings or property. All casualties, whether Britannian or Eleven, shall be treated equally and without prejudice. I say again, all forces are ordered to cease fire at once. You are also to cease destruction of any buildings or property. All casualties, whether Britannian or Eleven, shall be treated equally and without prejudice.**_ "

Standing behind his seat, Kallen's eyes widened. "Damn, he actually did it!" Kallen exclaimed in awe. Ohgi nodded his head in agreement.

"Just who the hell is this guy?" Ohgi asked rhetorically.

* * *

 **Back Inside The G-1 Mobile Command Center...**

Lifting his finger off of the button, Bartley looked at the two insurgents holding him at gunpoint. "There. Are you satisfied?" he asked them in annoyance.

" **Well, not quite. We've got a few other demands that need to be met before we can leave** ," the talkative insurgent said before he tapped a button on the side of the helmet to activate the recording device built into it. He then took his helmet off as he stood in the dark, leaving Bartley to look at a glowing red bird flying at him.

"Now," Lelouch said from the dark as he stepped forward and held his helmet out at an angle, "I want you to tell me all of the major access codes for the Britannian Security Networks, military networks, and government networks. Tell me every backdoor code you are aware of and any passwords and usernames that are needed to access your servers. And be sure to name what each code is for specifically," Lelouch ordered with a smile.

With the helmet's recording device activated, every word and syllable uttered by Bartley was kept in a nice reasonable storage medium that Lelouch would be able to access later at his own discretion. It was well over six minutes before Bartley was done with his task. Looking down at the helmet, Lelouch smiled before glancing at his partner. He then looked back at Bartley, who was no longer under the control of his Geass.

"So, Bartley, where is Prince Clovis right now if he isn't here with you?" Lelouch asked the General.

"He's busy somewhere doing who knows what. I asked him to join me earlier, but he told me to take care of things myself," Bartley said honestly.

"Oh, really? And did he tell you specifically to slaughter innocent civilians?" Lelouch asked him with an edge to his voice.

"He said to use whatever means I deemed necessary to accomplish my mission," Bartley replied with a scowl.

"Carte Blanche orders. Well, I suppose that's to be expected from Clovis these days," Lelouch said with disappointment in his voice.

"I've done what you asked. I haven't gotten a good look at your face, so I'm willing to keep the ceasefire and let you go," Bartley offered. Whether he was being sincere or not, Lelouch knew that it was too great a risk.

"Well, there's a bit of a problem, General. See, I may have gotten what _I_ wanted from you, but my companion here still isn't satisfied," Lelouch said. Bartley glanced at the other insurgent.

"She's been holding her tongue for a while now, Bartley. Although, I would like to congratulate you on your final strategy earlier," Lelouch said. "Deliberately opening gaps in your defense to lure the enemy in before trapping them; genuinely brilliant," Lelouch said with some admiration in his voice. "And, now that you've received your final praise, it's time for the second phase to begin," Lelouch said.

Bartley frowned. "Alright, just who are you!?" he asked angrily at the soldier aiming their gun at his crotch. Lelouch walked over and put his helmet back on before aiming his own pistol at Bartley's chest. The second soldier then lowered their weapon before reaching up to remove their helmet, revealing a mane of green hair.

Bartley's eyes widened and his jaw dropped in recognition of the person standing before him as she stepped closer to let the glow of the various lights and consoles illuminate her. "C-Cee-Two!?" Bartley gasped as the woman walked closer to him with a dangerous smile on her face.

"Did you miss me, Bartley?" she asked him, tilting her head inquisitively like a cat. Her eyes glowered at him with barely restrained hatred. She then reached down and pulled out a combat knife with one hand, keeping her gun in the other one.

"W-Wait, Cee-Two! I was just following orders from Clovis!" Bartley pleaded as he saw the way she held the blade in her hand.

C.C. shook her head in dismay. "Nice try, Bartley," C.C. said, her voice taking on a sinister tone that matched her malevolent smile. She held up the knife for Bartley to see, and even Lelouch began to feel a bit uncomfortable at the atmosphere in the room.

"Do you know how it feels, Bartley? Do you know how it feels to have your body cut open while someone removes your insides just to see if they can grow back?" C.C. asked, her voice slowly losing its calm and gaining an edge of anger to it with each word. Her smile also slowly transformed into a frown.

"Do you know how it feels to be awake and fully aware when this is happening? Do you know how it fells to have your limbs cut off to see if they'll regrow or reattach themselves to your body? You know what it's like to _watch_ , but do you know how it _feels!?_ " C.C. asked him, snarling the final few words with her face contorted in rage.

It was then that Lelouch realized what C.C. was planning to do to Bartley. " **Cee-Two, I don't think we can really afford to make that kind of mess in here** ," Lelouch said through his helmet. She regarded him with a frown before turning to look at Bartley. The man was sweating bullets and his eyes were wide with terror.

" **Besides, if we stay here too long, we're bound to get caught by reinforcements** ," Lelouch added hastily. C.C. let out a disappointed sigh before shaking her head.

"Well, I guess you're in luck, Bartley," she said as she sheathed her combat knife. "I don't have time to torture you," she said, causing Bartley to sigh in relief. "So, I'm just gonna kill you instead," she added with a smirk before raising her pistol to aim it at Bartley's head.

"No, please!" Bartley pleaded. Two seconds later, his brains were splattered against the tactical map behind him. C.C. then lowered the pistol and fired it several times at Bartley's crotch area, while Lelouch looked away as C.C. vented her rage and hatred for the dead man in front of her.

After emptying an entire magazine into Bartley's body, C.C. ejected the empty magazine and inserted a new one, before Lelouch grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the room and into a hallway. " **That's enough, Cee-Two. We need to leave and find a way out of the ghetto** ," Lelouch said as they made their way to an elevator.

Their journey back through the ghetto was a mostly silent one, with Lelouch and C.C. returning to the abandoned Sutherland only to change into their earlier clothes, although C.C. soon insisted on looting a damaged department store for some better clothing for herself to travel in. Lelouch also used the opportunity to grab something to store the Britannian military gear as he and C.C. then carefully made their way out of the ghetto before hitching a ride into the Tokyo Settlement.

* * *

 **Ashford Academy, Outskirts of the Tokyo Settlement, Later That Evening...**

Carefully creeping along the grounds of the Academy, Lelouch led C.C., now dressed in blue jeans and a yellow T-shirt, over to the entrance of the Student Government Clubhouse, where he and his sister, Nunnally, resided. "You don't live in a dorm?" C.C. asked Lelouch quietly as he made his way to the doors. Lelouch shook his head in response.

"No. I live in the clubhouse with my sister, Nunnally," Lelouch explained. C.C.'s eyes widened in recognition of the name, but Lelouch was too busy fiddling with the door to notice her expression.

 _Well... I suppose I've known from the moment I heard his full name just who he really is, but to have this kind of confirmation is just icing on the cake. Mm... cake_ , C.C. thought to herself as Lelouch finally got the door open. He then gestured for C.C. to go in first.

"Quite a gentlemen you are," she said with a nod of appreciation, before she stopped in her tracks and noticed the other female in the room as Lelouch carefully closed the door behind them.

"Alright, Nunnally should be asleep right... uh-oh," Lelouch muttered as he saw his sister glaring at him from her wheelchair. Her arms were crossed and her eyes were narrowed in a glare while a frown marred her face. Were it not for the fact that she was crippled from the waist down, she would have been tapping her feet as well.

"Lelouch... welcome home," Nunnally said with a relenting sigh. Lelouch smiled back before walking over to her to hug her. Nunnally's nose wrinkled. "You smell like smoke. Were you at one of those casinos again?" Nunnally asked her brother.

 _Well... that's probably the safe answer_ , Lelouch thought to himself. "Well... you see, I, uh... yes," he lied. Nunnally shook her head in disapproval at her brother.

"Really, Lelouch, one of these days you're going to get yourself in trouble, and... wait, who're you?" Nunnally asked as she turned to look at C.C.

"You may call me Cee-Two," C.C. replied kindly. _Her hair looks different, but her eyes are the same, and that face is almost the same as well. She's definitely Marianne's girl_ , C.C. thought to herself as she studied Nunnally's features. C.C. then noticed the figure standing in the shadows nearby.

"And who might you be?" C.C. asked the figure.

"Sayoko, come on out," Lelouch said before the maid stepped into the light. Sayoko Shinozaki, a Japanese woman in her twenties, walked over to Nunnally's wheelchair and smiled at C.C. before bowing her head.

"It's okay, Sayoko. She's not gonna hurt us," Lelouch said as he noticed the rigidness of Sayoko's posture. Sayoko glanced at him questioningly, prompting Lelouch to nod his head to further drive the point home. Sayoko then nodded her head in response and relaxed.

"My apologies, Master Lelouch. She simply insisted on being up when you came back home tonight. After you failed to return to the school with Mister Rivalz, her concern only grew greater," Sayoko explained.

Lelouch inhaled before letting out a sigh. "That's all right. But, now that I'm home, she needs to get to bed. I'm gonna clean up and... let Cee-Two stay with us for the night. She's had a rough day," Lelouch said. Sayoko raised an eyebrow at him subtly. "I'll explain tomorrow at breakfast," Lelouch promised.

Sayoko nodded her head before grabbing the handles of Nunnally's wheelchair and turning the girl around. Nunnally twisted her body as best she could to look over her shoulders at Lelouch as Sayoko wheeled her away. "You owe me an explanation tomorrow, got it, Buster!?" Nunnally demanded.

Lelouch nodded his head and smiled at her before Sayoko made them both disappear into the next room. He then turned to look at C.C. "Uh... follow me up the stairs and... did you remember to remove the price tags from those?" he asked her as she followed him up a set of stairs nearby. C.C. nodded her head before following the boy up the stairs onto the next floor.

After entering Lelouch's bedroom, which thankfully had a bathroom connected to it, C.C. looked around and took in her surroundings. It was nice to be someplace with carpet on the floor. It was even nicer to be in a room with actual furniture and a feeling of warmth and comfort.

"Alright, you can borrow some of my clothes for the night and tomorrow. Do you wanna get your shower first?" Lelouch asked C.C. as he stowed the suitcase full of military gear in a closet nearby. C.C. regarded him curiously before looking over at the small bathroom. It had a shower stall, a sink, and a toilet. There was a multi-layered rack holding soaps and conditioners above the toilet, but that was the extent of furnishings, aside from a mirror above the sink. There were some plastic hooks on the wall next to the shower for towels as well.

"How long have you lived here?" C.C. asked Lelouch, ignoring his question.

"Uh... since the Invasion of Japan," Lelouch replied as he dug through his drawers for fresh clothes to give to C.C. and for himself. "I don't have any women's undergarments, so I guess it's a good thing you snagged those bras when you did," Lelouch mentioned as he set down some folded clothes on the bed.

"Um... look, for tonight, just try to make yourself comfortable. Tomorrow, though... I have some questions I'd like to ask you about this... Geass that you've given me," Lelouch said to C.C.

C.C. nodded her head in understanding. "Thank you for your hospitality... Lelouch vi Britannia," C.C. said, leaving Lelouch with wide eyes and a slacked jaw. "Allow me to clean up, and when you are also done, we can talk," she said as she retrieved the clothes from the bed and skipped into the bathroom before closing the door.

Lelouch looked at the bathroom door before letting out a sigh of frustration. "Well... things could be worse, I suppose," Lelouch said to himself. He then lifted his arms to sniff his uniform. Nunnally was right. He _did_ smell like smoke. "At least I'm alive."

* * *

 **ENDING THEME:** _ **A Kind Of Magic**_ **, by Queen.**

* * *

 **PREVIEW OF NEXT TIME**

On the next chapter of _Two Steps Forward, One Step Backward_ , Lelouch finds himself confronting a certain redhead at school, while he simultaneous learns a valuable lesson about his Geass and its limitations.

* * *

Author's Notes: And that was the second chapter! Woo-hoo! So, as you can tell, no fight with the Lancelot, Clovis is still alive, Bartley's dead, and Nunnally can _fucking see!_ She's still crippled, but at least she ain't blind. That also means her personality will be a bit different from canon as well, since not being blind means that she's able to be more hands on with her life and the people around her.

I also changed Nunnally's relationship with Lelouch a bit because canon Nunnally, at least in R1, is pretty much a plot device that can talk. Seriously, she only exists to give motivation to Lelouch, and that's it. So much wasted potential, as with a lot of other things that Code Geass messed up. Because, honestly, due to how Nunnally and Lelouch acted around each other, I never bought them as actual siblings. They didn't really tease or harass each other, they never talked like real siblings, and Nunnally really didn't have much of a personality. It felt more like Lelouch was her babysitter than anything else. So, expect Two Steps Nunnally to be have a more vitriolic relationship with her brother, because dammit I am going to make her into an actual fucking character with a personality! Just like Shirley, who I also didn't care for in canon either! Although I did feel sorry for Shirley because of all the bullshit she went through and her tragic end.

So... here's a question for everyone: Are you all okay with me making Nunnally's natural hair black, while her sandy brown hair is a result of being dyed as part of a disguise?

That was a trick question, because I intend to do that regardless!

So, yeah, the rest of the Ashford Student Council will be introduced in the next chapter, and the next big divergence from canon also occurs.

I, Anguirus1955, command you to let me know what you think of the chapter and/or story so far in your reviews!


	3. Hello, My Name is

**CODE GEASS: Two Steps Forward, One Step Backward**

By Anguirus1955

Disclaimer: Code Geass is the intellectual property of Studio Sunrise.

So, the Battle of Shinjuku is over, Clovis is still alive, and Nunnally can see! Tragically, she still does not have that rocket-powered wheelchair I joked about in the previous chapter's pre-story notes. C.C. will be returning to her usual personality for the next few chapters, as her rage at Bartley has since subsided after killing him. Remember, C.C. has been around for hundreds of years. She can easily mask her emotions with the flick of a wrist.

That being said, I also have some interesting interactions between C.C. and Nunnally planned for this chapter, along with interactions between Nunnally and Lelouch, to further cement the bond between them as siblings. This was an area where the canon Code Geass failed on all levels, as Nunnally never felt like anything more than a plot device to get Lelouch motivated.

Here, I plan on having them interact as real siblings to actually give serious weight to Lelouch's desire to make the world better for Nunnally. Now, Nunnally's personality in this story may seem a bit OOC, but considering that her In Character personality in canon was about as engaging as driftwood, I don't really care for anyone's complaints.

Also, for those who are curious, Nunnally's hair is naturally black in this story, the same as her mother's hair, while her eyes are the same color as her father's. As I've said before, I have changed the backstories of a few characters for this retelling. For instance, Jeremiah Gottwald in this version was Marianne's personal Knight. Sure, she was already Knight of Six and the Emperor's Knight of Honor, but she was also the _Empress_ , so... yeah, she could have her own Knight if she wanted.

I've also decided, in regards to pairings... Lelouch X Kallen, C.C. X [Possible Spoiler], possible Euphemia X Suzaku, Past Lelouch X Milly, Nina X Table-kun (the _**ONE TRUE PAIRING**_ found in the show), Past Jeremiah X [MAJOR SPOILER], Implied Shirley X [Spoiler], and Cecile X [Spoiler]. Please not that each Spoiler is a different individual. So, the Spoiler paired with Shirley is not the same Spoiler paired with Jeremiah or Cecile. I still haven't decided if I'm gonna for for Villetta x Ohgi or Villetta X Jeremiah, but since I have those marked as Spoiler, I can flip a coin and do whatever I want when I reach that point.

And, on another note, I plan on showing how many of Japanese characters such as Ohgi, Inoue, and Tamaki go about their daily lives at various points in the story, to truly hammer home how their lives are affected by the corruption and bigotry of Britannian society. In the original Code Geass, I don't think the daily lives of the "Numbers" were really shown in great detail, or at least they weren't given enough screen time to make an impact on the viewers.

On one more note, all of the other characters in this story retain their bizarre and unnatural hair colors, because I don't care enough to change those details.

As with all stories that I write, I listen to music while writing to help myself get into a groove or to help myself capture certain feelings while writing. It can help inspire me sometimes. Music that I listened to while writing this chapter include _Code Geass OST_ 1 - 2 (2006 - 2007) by Kotaro Nakagawa, _Mr. Holland's Opus_ (1996) by the late Michael Kamen (same guy who scored the first 3 _Die Hard_ movies, all 4 _Lethal Weapon_ movies, the first _Highlander_ movie, the first _X-Men_ movie, and _The Iron Giant_ ), and _Halo 2 Anniversary Original Soundtrack_ (2014) by Martin O'Donnell & Michael Salvatori with new recordings by Skywalker Sound.

Please note that listening to this music while reading the story is _**not**_ a requirement. I simply provide this as a little something extra to help enhance the reading experience, if you the readers so wish to do so. Most of this music can be found and heard on YouTube or any number of anime soundtrack websites.

Sudden and Suspicious Disclaimer: I also advocate the purchasing and obtaining of official soundtracks through legal means.

Music From _Code Geass OST 1 - 2_ (2006 - 2007): _Strange Girl_ , _Cold Nobility_ , _Invisible Sound_ , _First Signature_ , _Masquerade_ , _Boyhood_ , _Last Adolescence_ , _With You._

Music From _Mr. Holland's Opus_ (1996): _Rowena_ , _Iris And Glen_ , _Cole's Tune._

Music From _Halo 2 Anniversary OST_ (2014): _Not A Number_ , _Unsullied Memory_ , _Unforgotten Memories._

 **Track Order Listing - All After Opening Theme And Before Ending Theme**

 **01**. _Cole's Tune_ (Morning at Ashford/C.C. and Nunnally), **02**. _Strange Girl_ (Milly and Lelouch/Milly meets C.C.), **03**. _Last Adolescence_ (Jeremiah and Villetta), **04**. _With You_ (Lelouch speaks to Kallen), **05**. _Invisible Sound_ (Clovis and V.V.), **06**. _Rowena_ (Kallen and Student Council/Bathroom discussion).

 **Music After Ending Theme**

 **07**. _Not A Number_.

* * *

 **OPENING THEME:** _ **Princes Of The Universe**_ **(by Queen)**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 03: Hello, My Name Is...**

* * *

 **The Viceroy's Palace, Tokyo Settlement, Area 11, Thursday Evening, August 17, 2017 ATB**

Clovis la Britannia stood still in shock as he stared at the uniformed Lieutenant Albany in front of him. Behind Clovis, a young woman with brown hair lay in his bed, covered only by the covers. Clovis himself was wearing a robe over his otherwise nude body.

Shaking his head in disbelief, Clovis took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, but could you... repeat that for me?" Clovis asked Lieutenant Albany. Albany inhaled in preparation.

"I regret to report to you that General Bartley Asprius was found dead inside the Gee-One Mobile Command Center at Oh Sixteen Hundred Hours today," Albany said.

Clovis looked at the man for any signs of humor, but he found none. "And the rest of the command staff?" Clovis asked the man.

"Also dead," Albany reported.

Clovis staggered back as horrible thoughts and possibilities began racing through his mind. "D-Do we have any idea who is responsible?" Clovis asked Lieutenant Albany.

"We have no confirmation of any suspects at this time, Your Highness," Albany replied curtly.

"I... I want a complete report on my desk tomorrow by noon. No word of this is to get out until I give permission. Is that understood? We cannot have the media catching wind of this until we have a public statement ready. I want a full investigation to be conducted by the most proficient officers available for the task," Clovis said, trying to keep the panic out of his voice.

Albany nodded his head. "Understood, Your Highness. I apologize for marring your evening with this news," Albany said.

Clovis nodded his head before dismissing Albany, who carefully closed the door to Clovis's private chambers as he took off down the hall. Meanwhile, Clovis felt a stab of fear in his heart. _Cee-Two... it had to be her. It had to be. And she'll likely come after me next!_

* * *

 **Ashford Academy, Friday Morning, August 18, 2017 ATB**

Opening his eyes s his alarm went off, Lelouch turned to reach the offending device and grabbed the small square clock before pressing a button on the top to shut it off. He groaned as he slowly slid off of the covers. Blinking in confusion, he looked down and noticed that he had slept _on top_ of the covers, not beneath them.

Standing up and turning around to face the bed, Lelouch soon remembered _why_ he had slept on the covers. Curled up underneath said covers was a girl who looked to be around his age with lime green hair, sleeping peacefully. Looking closely at her, she really was quite beautiful, although there was also something vaguely familiar about her as well, as though he had seen her prior to Shinjuku at some point in his life.

 _Still, with the power of Geass, I can actually accomplish my goal of making the world a better place for Nunnally. Maybe I can't topple Britannia completely, but I can at least force it to change so that the weak are no longer preyed upon by the strong. At least then my sister will have a fighting chance to have a decent life when she graduates from school or if she has to live by herself should anything happen to me_ , Lelouch thought to himself.

Walking around the bed, still wearing his pajamas, Lelouch made to wake her up as he leaned over her to wake her up, only to hear her whisper softly in her sleep. " _Charlie_ ," she whispered with longing and adoration in her voice. Lelouch raised an eyebrow.

 _Charlie? Must be the name of an old flame she once had_ , Lelouch concluded before grabbing a clean set of underwear, socks, and a spare Ashford Academy male uniform. He then made his way into the bathroom to clean up and get ready.

Meanwhile, as Lelouch closed the bathroom door behind him, C.C. slowly began to stir. Letting out a yawn as she uncurled herself and slowly sat up, she groggily opened her eyes before looking around to take inventory of her surroundings. _It wasn't a dream. I'm really free_ , C.C. thought to herself with a smile. She slowly rose out of the bed, lifting off the covers and setting her feet on the carpeted floor.

Smiling, she made fists with her toes on the carpet as she walked around, hearing the sounds of a toilet flushing in the bathroom. Soon, the door to the bedroom opened and Nunnally wheeled herself inside before pausing. Nunnally looked at C.C. in surprise as she took in the older female's completely naked body. She quickly regained her composure.

"Since I didn't hear any loud noises from this room last night, I should take your current state of undress to mean that my brother disappointed you?" Nunnally asked with a smirk. C.C. raised an eyebrow at the younger female's humorous statement.

She remembered watching the girl in her time at the Aries Villa when she would converse with Marianne, and the girl certainly retained some of her more hellion nature from before Marianne's assassination. Smiling at the girl, C.C. shook her head.

"I never gave him the offer. I simply prefer sleeping in the nude," C.C. explained to the girl, who then frowned. "Your brother slept on the covers while wearing pajamas," she added.

"Dammit. I was hoping to have something to tease him about," Nunnally pouted. C.C. snorted in response. C.C. looked at the girl's hair with a closer eye now. She could see that her eyebrows remained black, and the roots of her hair were black as well, although the rest of her locks were all a vibrant sandy brown color. She also appeared to be wearing blue contact lenses over her eyes, hiding their natural color. Oddly enough, the lenses made her resemble her mother even _more_.

"Your brows don't match the rest of your hair," C.C. said to the 14 year-old girl.

"I leave them alone because I don't wanna get hair dye in my eyes by accident," Nunnally replied. "Do you _know_ how much that _stings!?_ " she asked, gesticulating with her arms and hands. C.C. nodded her head in response.

"Indeed. But I must ask... if you go through the trouble of disguising yourself, then why does your brother not wear a disguise in public, Nunnally vi Britannia?" C.C. asked her with a knowing smile. Nunnally's eyes widened in shock.

"H-How... how did you..." Nunnally trailed off, speechless. C.C. snickered at her. "Who are you really?" Nunnally asked C.C. with a frown and a glare, just as Sayoko entered the room behind her.

"Miss Nunnally, shall I restrain her?" Sayoko asked her with narrowed eyes pointed at the lime-haired woman standing naked in the room.

"I'm not going to blow your cover," C.C. said. "I just escaped from a Britannian prison of sorts myself. If I turn you in, they'll just take me in as well," C.C. said. "Besides, I wouldn't dream of letting Marianne's only daughter come to harm," she added with a strange expression on her face, which quickly disappeared.

"Did you know my mother?" Nunnally asked her curiously.

"I knew her very well. We were very close to one another before she died," C.C. replied forlornly. Nunnally looked at her skeptically, before letting out a sigh.

"Okay. But if you try even once to expose us, I'll have Sayoko make sure that no one ever finds your body," Nunnally warned. "She can do it too. She comes from a family of ninja assassins," Nunnally explained with a smile on her face.

 _Yup. She's definitely Marianne's little girl all right_ , C.C. thought to herself.

"Although, what were you in prison for?" Nunnally asked her suspiciously.

"Technically, I was being used as a test subject for illegal experiments in a military laboratory, but it may as well have been a prison anyway," C.C. explained to the younger female.

"Is that what kept my brother from coming home so late yesterday? Did he get caught up in your escape?" Nunnally asked her curiously.

C.C. nodded her head in affirmation. "Yes, he did. Nunnally, just as I will keep quiet about your true identity, I must ask that you do the same for me as well," C.C. asked the girl. Nunnally regarded her carefully for a moment, before nodding her head and holding out her right hand, her fingers curled up with only her pinky hanging out.

"Pinky swear," Nunnally ordered her. C.C. refrained from rolling her eyes and knelt down in front of the girl to reach out and pinky swear with her.

"All right then. I guess it's better for both of us this way," Nunnally said, just as the bathroom door opened and a cleaned Lelouch walked out in his school uniform.

"Okay, the bathroom's- _whoa!_ " Lelouch exclaimed as C.C. looked over her shoulder at him, realizing that her bare bottom was visible to the boy. She then smirked before wiggling her rear at him, causing Lelouch to blush as he looked away. He quickly walked around C.C. and looked down at Nunnally, who was snickering at him.

"Nunnally, don't ever imitate her," Lelouch said, still bewildered by C.C.'s recent actions.

"I'll be sure to moon everyone on the campus today," Nunnally joked in response. Lelouch rolled his eyes and his shoulders slumped.

"Sayoko, please help Cee-Two find some decent clothes. I'll get breakfast ready downstairs. Classes won't start for another two hours at least," Lelouch said as he glanced over at a clock on the wall. He then quickly made his way out of the room and into the hallway.

C.C. stood up and sighed, shaking her head with a mirthful smile on her face. "So much fun to tease, just like Charlie," C.C. said fondly. Nunnally looked at her curiously.

"Who's Charlie?" Nunnally asked her.

"Oh... just a man I once knew," C.C. said longingly as she remembered a man with sandy brown hair and great stature. A man who had swept her off her feet in more ways than one, who had promised her the world if she had stayed by his side. Were it not for her immortality, she would have stayed with him and never left his side.

"You loved him, didn't you?" Nunnally asked her, having caught the tone of C.C.'s voice.

"I did," C.C. replied softly with a smile. "I loved him very much," she added as she looked away at some far way place in the distance, unseen by anyone but her. Memories of tender kisses, gentle touches, cries of passion, and promises of bright futures flowed through her, along with the heartbreak that eventually followed. "But it couldn't last. None of them ever do," C.C. muttered under her breath.

 **A Short Time Later, Downstairs...**

Lelouch leaned back against the counter as he held a staring contest with one Millicent Ashford, the granddaughter of the school's headmaster, Ruben Ashford. The blonde girl scowled at Lelouch with her arms crossed before the boy finally relented. "Fine," Lelouch said. "I'm sorry for not calling anyone and making you all worry yesterday," he said.

"Damn right you're sorry. When Rivalz told us you had fallen into a truck that then ended up taking you for a joyride... we were _worried_ ," Milly said with a frown. "We heard reports of traffic stops around Shinjuku and all sorts of rumors about military presence and... dammit, we'd all thought that something had _happened_ to you!" Milly exclaimed.

Lelouch inhaled before closing his eyes. "I know. And I'm sorry," he said again before looking Milly in the eyes. "It's just... I forgot about my phone because I was too worked up over being trapped in the truck. And then the damn thing crashed _again_ , and I found myself trying to sneak out of a ghetto that was under a complete lock-down," Lelouch said, keeping things as vague as possible to avoid lying to Milly. She could always tell when he was lying, no matter how hard he tried to hide it.

Milly shook her head before walking over to Lelouch and wrapping her arms around him in a hug. "I was worried, you know?" she asked him softly before pulling away from the boy. "I mean it. Even though we aren't together anymore... I still care about you, Lelouch. As a friend," Milly said before she slowly stepped away from him to look at the entrance to the kitchen, where a girl with lime-green hair was standing with her back against the door frame and a smirk on her face.

Lelouch found himself silently thanking any and all existent and/or nonexistent deities for the fact that C.C. was fully clothed, even if she _was_ wearing his clothes, including his brown flight jacket.

Milly looked at her curiously. "Um... hello there," Milly said, unfamiliar with this girl.

"Hello, Miss Ashford," C.C. said as she walked over to Milly.

"You know who I am, but... who are you?" Milly asked her curiously, before turning to look at Lelouch.

"Um... she followed me home," he said with a shrug.

"That doesn't explain who she is," Milly said, just before Nunnally entered the room, wheeled in by Sayoko.

"I said I can wheel myself into the kitchen, Sayoko-san," Nunnally said to the Japanese woman. Sayoko merely smiled at her and nodded her head in response.

"Yes, but you should save that strength for after you've eaten," she said before stopping Nunnally's wheelchair in front of the table.

"So... since the whole gang's here, care to explain what's going on?" Milly asked Lelouch pointedly.

"Do you want the truth or a boldfaced lie?" he asked her.

Milly's left eye twitched as she glared at him. "Which do _you_ think?" she asked through clenched teeth. Despite her often bubbly persona, Milly Ashford was fully capable of being a serious person when the situation called for it.

Inhaling deeply, Lelouch opened his mouth to speak, only for C.C. to start talking instead. Milly found herself looking at the green-haired girl with wide eyes as the previous days events were recounted, including the parts that only C.C. had been witness to, such as being loaded into the capsule before it was stolen. She did, however, leave out the bits regarding Lelouch's Geass, his hijacking a Knightmare, and the cooperation with the terrorists to defeat the Britannian Royal Guard. C.C. especially kept quiet about her murdering Bartley. However, she gave an otherwise accurate account of things. By the end of C.C.'s explanation, which somehow ended up _not_ taking more than an hour to tell, Milly found herself staring at the girl and Lelouch in bewilderment.

"So... there's a fugitive hiding in my school now?" Milly asked Lelouch with half-lidded eyes.

"Um... define fugitive," Lelouch said in response. Milly simply growled at him before closing her eyes and inhaling before letting out a sigh.

"Okay. I can handle this. I can handle this," Milly said to herself before she opened her eyes again and looked at C.C.

"Okay. Cee-Two, was it? Today, you can stay in here and keep out of sight, but tomorrow... we are getting you enrolled in this school under a false identity and keeping you away from the government, even though it's probably illegal to do that, but whatever," Milly said firmly.

 _Now I remember why I was attracted to her back then. She's just as crazy as I am sometimes_ , Lelouch thought to himself.

"And we're going to have to falsify documents for you, but I can take care of that myself. I used to live in Pendragon after all. Aaaannd... we'll have to find a way to explain your presence to the other students somehow without raising suspicion," Milly said.

Lelouch rubbed his chin in thought before opening his mouth to speak. "I think-" "I got it!" Milly exclaimed, interrupting Lelouch, who then shrugged and rolled his eyes. "You'll claim to be a foreign exchange student," Milly said as she looked at C.C.

"Okay, but with my enrollment happening so soon after yesterday's events, won't that be suspicious to anyone with a functioning brain?" C.C. asked her with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh please, we have Honorary Britannian students enrolled here, so no one's going to bat an eye at a foreign exchange student, although... to keep up appearances, we may have to put you in a dorm room instead of letting you stay here in the clubhouse," Milly said thoughtfully.

"Will I have to dye my hair and wear contact lenses?" C.C. asked her dryly.

"Not unless you want to, although... it might be safer that way for you," Milly said.

"I dunno, Milly," Nunnally began, "I mean, my brother goes walking around the whole settlement without a disguise and no one recognizes him at all."

Milly gulped as she looked curiously at Nunnally. Noticing Milly's response, Nunnally rolled her eyes. "It's okay, Milly. She knows," Nunnally said. Milly's eyes widened in response.

"W-What? What do you mean she already knows? How can... Dammit, Lelouch! I told you this would happen one day if you didn't wear a disguise in public!" Milly shouted.

"Milly, please calm down," Nunnally said in a firm tone, one that C.C. recognized from her time spent with Marianne. "Cee-Two isn't just a fugitive. She's someone who's been put through horrific circumstances against her will," Nunnally said. "If anything, Lelouch did the right thing by bringing her back here. Are you really going to fault him for that, just because she recognizes us?" Nunnally asked her.

"You really are your mother's daughter, aren't you?" C.C. asked Nunnally with a smile. Nunnally looked over at C.C. and smiled back.

"Only when I need to be," Nunnally replied, still smiling.

Milly sighed in response. "Fine. Is there anything else I should know before I go round up the rest of the Student Council for today's pre-class meeting?" Milly asked.

"Yes. I was born in France and I am immortal," C.C. said with a smile.

"Of course you are," Milly said flippantly, at this point not even caring anymore. "Oh, by the way, Lelouch? On my way over, I saw someone who I haven't seen in a while making their way onto the school grounds. Miss Kallen Stadtfeld has finally gotten over her latest illness and has graced the school with her presence once more," Milly said with a hint of humor in her voice.

"Kallen _who?_ " Lelouch asked her, trying to hide his interest at hearing the name.

"Stadtfeld," Milly replied bluntly.

"Um... the name sounds familiar," he said, playing dumb.

"She can't run twenty feet without having a coughing fit?" Milly reminded him.

"Oh! _Her!_ " Lelouch exclaimed in false excitement. "What about her?" he then asked in a much calmer tone.

"I want to induct her into the Student Council. She's always too sick to join a club, but there _are_ certain requirements that even _I_ cannot go without unless I want a blemish on my record. This is the easiest way to remedy that situation for Miss Stadtfeld, so I'd like you, or one of the other members of the Student Council, to talk to her today about joining either this afternoon or tomorrow. Preferably tomorrow, since I can put together a proper welcoming party for her with more time available," Milly said.

"But, tomorrow is _Saturday_ ," Lelouch pointed out. Milly simply stared at him. "Okay, I'll see what I can do," Lelouch said, nodding his head. "By the way... is it okay if Cee-Two borrows some of _your_ clothes from now on, instead of mine? It'll help her blend in better if she's wearing a girl's uniform when she's seen on the campus," Lelouch asked Milly.

"I'll see what I can do," Milly replied. "Oh, Lelouch? I need you to go at least two weeks without skipping school to go gambling, okay? We don't need anymore scares like yesterday," Milly said firmly.

Lelouch reluctantly nodded his head in agreement. He _liked_ making lots of money by beating nobles at his favorite board game. Still, he had made plenty of money from yesterday's game to hold him over for a while, so he could agree to Milly's request without much of a problem.

* * *

 **Margrave's Office, The Viceroy's Palace, Tokyo Settlement, Area 11...**

Margrave Jeremiah Gottwald ran his hands through his teal hair. Looking over at Villetta Nu, he shook his head. "How the hell did this happen?" he asked rhetorically as he read the report that had been compiled regarding General Bartley's death and the losses suffered in the Shinjuku Ghetto the previous day. Granted, he and Villetta had both been there, but he had been forced to eject from his Knightmare and had landed in the middle of an already structurally damaged apartment building, which had then collapsed onto his escape pod, leaving him trapped until rescue crews were able to reach him.

Villetta, however... she had lost her Knightmare, which was determined to be the one used by the terrorists to turn the tide of the battle, and with her unable to recall what had happened, she facing serious scrutiny from everyone, especially her fellow purists. And since Villetta did not come from a noble house, but instead was born a _commoner_ , she was facing threats and mockery from her fellow Purebloods. Currently, only Jeremiah had been completely professional with her, but even he still faced scrutiny from time to time, thanks in part to rumors about his time as the late Empress Marianne's Knight, as Marianne vi Britannia, born Marianne Lamperouge, had also been a commoner.

"I'm sorry, sir. I... I just can't remember what happened. I can only remember my Factsphere picking up signs of activity from a nearby building, and then... finding myself in a restaurant surrounded by dead Royal Guards. I can't remember anything else," Villetta said nervously.

"I understand that, but... well, there were no bruises to be found on your person, so it's very difficult to accept that you just developed amnesia out of the blue," Jeremiah said in an understanding but firm tone. There was no accusation present in his voice, as there had been with the other Purebloods who had implied deliberate treason when speaking to her.

"I... I just... I'm sorry, but I can't remember!" Villetta exclaimed in frustration. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't remember anything. She couldn't even remember when she had stopped her Knightmare in front of the restaurant, or _if_ she had stopped it there. She just remembered picking up activity on her Factsphere and then... standing in the restaurant.

"Okay, I'll accept your word, Lieutenant," Jeremiah said. "You still hold the rank and title of Knight so long as you are not involved in any further incidents of unusual nature," he added. "However... for the time being, any potential promotions are going to be postponed until everything gets sorted out," he said to her.

"Thank you," Villetta replied. "Um... Jeremiah?" she then began hesitantly. "Do we know who it was that killed General Asprius and the Gee-One's command staff?" she asked.

"No. The security systems were temporarily deactivated shortly before the insurgents managed to kill him, based on his estimated time of death and the last time stamp on the security system before it was shut down," Jeremiah said. "The security cameras on the bridge were also all destroyed. Whoever did this was very thorough," he added.

"Jeremiah, I've... heard rumors circulating among the other Purebloods that it may have been an Honorary Britannian who didn't agree with General Asprius's orders," Villetta said. Jeremiah sighed and rubbed his temples. He had lost count of how many times he had heard this rumor since he'd learned of Bartley's death.

"Those are simply rumors, Lieutenant Nu," Jeremiah said with a firm but slightly annoyed tone of voice. "The closest any Foreign Legion soldiers got to the Gee-One during the battle was when they were taken to the medical transports, and none of them had been released from those transports prior to Bartley's death. We're still questioning personnel as I speak, but the final version of the preliminary report is being prepared for the Viceroy at this very moment. Any new developments will have to be saved for the next report," Jeremiah said.

"Believe me when I say it is unlikely that any of them murdered General Bartley _and_ his command staff. No, I think that the most likely explanation is that a handful of the terrorists were able to sneak through a gap in the defense line somewhere and breach the perimeter of the command center. Frightening, but it's the most logical explanation that I can find," Jeremiah said before he turned his attention to a framed picture of the late Empress Marianne and Nunnally that was on his desk. A constant reminder of his greatest failure as a Knight: his inability to protect the woman he loved.

"Anyway... thank you for your time, Lieutenant Nu. You're dismissed," Jeremiah said as he looked at Villetta. Villetta nodded her head and stood up before making her way to the door. As she opened it, she paused before glancing back at Jeremiah, who had picked up the picture and was looking at it with a forlorn expression on his face. Villetta looked away before exiting the room and closing the door behind her.

* * *

 **Ashford Academy, Noon...**

Leaving the classroom, Lelouch scanned the hallways for signs of a certain redhead. As he passed by several students in the hallway, he heard the voice of Rivalz catching up to him. _Oh not now,_ Lelouch thought in frustration as he heard his friend approach him.

"Dude, you've been avoiding me all day! Come on, time to catch up!" Rivalz exclaimed as he slapped his friend on the back. "So, anyway, what was Milly grilling you about earlier this morning? It was about you missing school yesterday, wasn't it? I tried to tell her what happened with the truck, but you know how she is sometimes," Rivalz said.

 _Maybe I could use my-no. No, we're in public_ , Lelouch thought to himself as he turned around to talk to his friend, mere seconds before he spotted a very familiar looking girl talking with some "friends" of hers on the other side of the hallway.

"Can you believe Jessica Lorne got knocked up during summer break!?" one of the girls, a bluenette named Helen, asked Kallen.

"Lorne? Wasn't she an Honor Student?" Kallen asked in response. Kallen Stadtfeld had a very meek air about her as she spoke with several girls. Her hair was combed down in a seemingly normal fashion, but Lelouch knew instantly that this was the same Kallen who had helped him wipe out dozens of Knightmares the previous day. She was Q-1, and now all he had to do was find a way to talk with her in private, hopefully to get a better understanding of her association with the others.

 _Perhaps I can use her as a liaison between myself and her cell_ , Lelouch thought to himself, causing Rivalz to look in the direction he was facing. "Oh, see something ya like?" Rivalz asked him with a wink. Lelouch glanced at Rivalz with a wry expression. "It's Kallen Stadtfeld, isn't it? She's a babe, ain't she?" Rivalz asked Lelouch.

"Well... _yes_ , but I just realized how little she actually shows up to school," Lelouch said to cover for himself. _Of course, yesterday I learned just_ _ **why**_ _that's the case, but I'll keep that bit of information_ _to myself for now_.

"Yeah, I hear she's always sick or somethin', and she barely showed up at school last year either. Still, her grades are at the top of the class," Rivalz said. "And, as the name implies, she's a member of the Stadtfeld family, which means she's well-bred and _rolling_ in money. Man, you sure know how to pick 'em," Rivalz said with a cheeky grin. Lelouch glared at him out of the corner of his eyes.

"What!? You're not with Milly anymore, so there's no harm in you being interesting in someone else," Rivalz said defensively.

"How do you know that it's _Kallen_ I'm looking at, and not one of her equally charming associates?" Lelouch asked Rivalz.

"Well, if you're not lookin' at Kallen, then which one _are_ ya lookin' at?" Rivalz then asked him curiously.

"I'll leave you to figure that out. Can't have you giving Milly gossip material, now can I?" Lelouch replied with a smirk before walking away.

 **Twenty Minutes Later, Outside On the Campus Grounds...**

Having carefully followed Kallen and her friends outside, Lelouch began running scenario after scenario in his head regarding how to approach the girl. _Hey, I'm the voice on the radio from yesterday! Wanna talk about fighting Britannia? No, too stupid_ , Lelouch thought to himself. _Hey, I'm sorry that my plan forced you to sacrifice your Glasgow. What am I talking about? I'm Kay-One!_

That one was too blunt. A more subtle strategy was required. One that required nuance to avoid setting off alarms in the girl's head.

 _Hey, nice tits! Wanna talk about Shinjuku?_

...

...

...

No. That would not do either.

 _Hello, Miss Stadtfield, would you like to discuss your feelings on the events that transpired yesterday in the Shinjuku Ghetto?_

Nope.

Lelouch frowned as each strategy for approaching Kallen was dismissed. He had to find a way to speak with her. If he was going to make the world a better place for his sister, Britannia had to be changed, either from within or by force. And to change Britannia, he would need to be able to fight against its military, which required people willing to fight it, thus... he needed a way to communicate with the Japanese resistance cells. Kallen was the key that he needed to open to that door.

 _So... how do I-wait a minute! Didn't Milly mention something to me this morning about someone inviting Kallen to the clubhouse for something? Something about getting her to join a club or some Student Council activity, wasn't it?_

Lelouch was soon brought out of his thoughts when he heard the girls screaming. Looking over at them, he couldn't see what had caused their commotion, until he noticed something tiny flying through the air. It was a wasp.

As Kallen hid herself in the bushes, Lelouch began making his way over to her. He would just have to improvise on the spot. As he neared the girl, he watched as she batted the wasp away with the back of her hand, displaying the reflexes necessary for her to be a Knightmare pilot.

Looking down at the wasp on the ground, Kallen stood up before hearing someone clearing their throat. She turned to see Lelouch Lamperouge approaching her. _That's strange. Isn't he supposed to be an ice block that never talks to girls... other than Milly Ashford?_

"Hello, Miss Stadtfield, is it okay if I talk to you for a minute?" Lelouch asked her. Kallen blinked at him curiously as she stood up slowly, trying to keep her meek sick girl facade in place. "It's just, I heard a commotion and wanted to make sure you were okay, Miss Stadtfield," Lelouch said with slight awkwardness in his voice.

"Oh, um... thank you for you concern," Kallen said. "Although, my name is pronounced Stadt _feld_ ," she corrected him. Lelouch raised an eyebrow at her.

"It... it is?" he asked her, taken back by being corrected. "I thought for sure it was Stadt _field_ ," he said.

Kallen slowly shook her head. "It's Stadt _feld_ ," she insisted softly.

"Oh," Lelouch said in embarrassment. "Sorry about that," he apologized, rubbing the back of his head for added effect.

"Well, there's also another matter I wish to speak with you about," Lelouch said before he glanced around the courtyard to see if anyone was watching them. Once he was sure the coast was clear, he activated his Geass on Kallen.

"You will answer the following questions honestly," Lelouch said firmly.

"Yes," Kallen replied robotically.

"Were you the pilot of the red Glasgow in Shinjuku?" Lelouch asked her, just to be safe. It was highly improbable, but still possible, that she may have had a twin sister with the same name.

"Yes," she answered, completely destroying the absurd possibility of her having a twin sister with the same name.

"Why are you engaging in terrorism?" Lelouch asked her curiously.

"I am Japanese. Technically, I am half Britannian," Kallen replied robotically.

 _Well, I already figured she was mixed-race, but whatever_ , Lelouch thought to himself, breaking eye contact as he shrugged his shoulders and rolled his eyes. "Though that still doesn't tell me everything," he muttered before he resumed eye contact with Kallen.

"Um, did you want something?" Kallen asked him in her sickly voice.

"Huh? Oh, right. I want you to serve as a liaison for me to get in contact with the rest of your cell," Lelouch said.

Kallen blinked at him with wide eyes. "I'm _sorry?_ I don't think I heard you correctly," she said, bewildered.

 _Um... what just happened? Oh, I broke eye contact_ , Lelouch realized. He then tried to use his Geass again. "Go back to class and don't speak to anyone about Shinjuku," he said. Kallen raised an eyebrow at him and looked at him strangely.

 _Something has gone terribly wrong here_ , Lelouch realized as a small panic began to set in.

"What do you mean, don't talk about Shinjuku?" Kallen asked him warily.

 _Oh shit! Oh shit! Um... think, Lelouch, think! You want her to work with you, right? So... say something to get her on your side! Say something smart!_ "I'm sorry about your Glasgow," Lelouch said hastily, his eyes widening when he realized what he had just said.

 _That wasn't smart! That was fucking idiotic! Lelouch, you're a dumbass!_

Kallen's eyes widened and shock and curiosity.

 _My... Glasgow!? How does he know about that!? Oh no, he's gonna turn me in. He's gonna turn me in! I... I have to do something! My cover's been blown! My cover's been blown_ , Kallen worried internally.

"L-Look, what I'm trying to say is... just go back to class, Q-One, I mean Kallen," Lelouch said, mentally berating himself for his most recent fuckup.

 _Wait... Q...One? Does that mean... He can't be_ , Kallen thought to herself.

"No. _Fucking_. Way," Kallen muttered in her real voice, her left eye twitching as realization set in. "You're... Kay-One!?" she asked Lelouch in disbelief.

Lelouch glanced around the courtyard. It was still empty, so they were in the clear. He had not been expecting this to happen. He was supposed to get her to answer his questions and then he would find her again later at a more convenient time. However, it seemed that his Geass apparently had more than one limitation to it.

 _It only works once per individual_ , Lelouch thought to himself grumpily. _I'm gonna need to talk with Cee-Two about this later_ , Lelouch thought to himself.

Lelouch then realized that Kallen was still staring at him, expecting an answer. "Uh... yes," Lelouch said bluntly, figuring he had nothing to lose by being honest at this point. He wouldn't be able to use his Geass on her to make her forget anything anyway.

Kallen shook her head in response. "You've gotta be kidding me," she said with disappointment in her voice. " _You're_ the guy who saved my ass yesterday?" she asked him again.

"Uh... _yes?_ " Lelouch replied, somewhat offended by her disbelief.

"But... why? You're _Britannian_ ," Kallen pointed out to him.

"Really? This whole time I thought I was Chinese," Lelouch snarked in response. Kallen was not amused.

Just as he opened his mouth to speak again, the bell rang, cutting him off. "Shit. Look, come to the Student Council Clubhouse after classes are over today. Milly wants you to join a club or something, so we can talk after you're done with her. I promise I'll explain everything to you then. For now, just... go back to pretending that you can't run twenty feet without needing an inhaler," Lelouch said before darting off, leaving Kallen perplexed.

"What the hell just happened?" Kallen asked herself before she started making her way back inside the main building for her next class.

* * *

 **The Viceroy's Palace, Area 11...**

Standing inside a private room with a large screen, Clovis gulped as he looked into the violet eyes of his immortal uncle, Vincent vi Britannia, also known as V.V. " _And so you have no idea where she is now. Is that right?_ " V.V. asked Clovis with narrowed eyes.

"Y-Yes," Clovis replied nervously.

V.V. sighed in response and rolled his eyes. " _Well... she may decide that you aren't worth the trouble of killing, so long as you remain in the Concession, and thus she might leave you alone. Still, it was difficult enough to capture her in the first place, and now... Dammit, Clovis, you incompetent twit! Even if she doesn't go after you, she may still attempt to sabotage other projects of vital interest to myself and the Empire!_ " V.V. snapped angrily.

"P-Please! I-I can fix this! I can recapture her, I know I can! Just... just give me some time! I just need time! She's probably laying low right now, but after a while she'll get bold. I already have security forces increased at all airports and travel sites throughout the Area, so if she's spotted, we'll know," Clovis said.

" _And what about the ghettos? What if she hides out in one of them?_ " V.V. asked him.

"Well... she'll stick out like a sore thumb! Someone who is clearly not an Eleven walking around in the ghettos will grab attention from the local residents! And rumors spread all the time at security checkpoints between the guards and Eleven construction workers that get bused between the ghettos and the Concession, so all it would take is one mention of her and it'll be reported," Clovis said with a hopeful smile.

"We'll find her! It won't happen overnight, but we'll catch her eventually. We just have to be patient," Clovis said. If there was one thing he remembered from his early years when he would play chess with his beloved half-brother Lelouch, it was that patience was a virtue.

" _Fine. I'll give you your chance. But don't you dare contact me again unless you have her in your possession or you have actually discovered where she is hiding. Is that clear?_ " V.V. asked him. Clovis nodded his head in understanding.

"Y-Yes, Uncle. I understand," Clovis said shakily.

" _Good. You and Schneizel are the only two nephews of mine I've actually revealed myself to, so don't go making me regret that decision. By the way, I'd recommend wearing a metal codpiece from now on, if what I read about Bartley's corpse was accurate_ ," V.V. said with a smirk.

" _Good bye, dear nephew_ ," V.V. said before ending the video call. The screen then went blue with a TRANSMISSION ENDED message on it, before Clovis shut the screen off and walked over to a chair to sink down into it, holding his head in his hands. It was only now that he began to realize just how in over his head he truly was.

* * *

 **Ashford Academy, Later That Afternoon...**

Walking out the front doors of the school and slowly walking over to the limousine waiting for her, Kallen Stadtfeld looked around warily, checking for signs of military officers or police officials waiting to take her into custody. None ever appeared. It seemed that Lelouch had kept quiet, but then again, given the revelation that he was actually K-1, she shouldn't have been so surprised... and yet she was still skeptical.

After reaching the limo, Kallen walked over to the front passenger side and knocked on the window. The driver rolled the window down to look at her. "I'll staying late. Apparently the Student Council wants me to sign up for something, so I might be a while," Kallen said to the driver. The driver nodded his head in affirmation before rolling up the window. Kallen then turned around and began walking back to the campus, heading for the Student Council Clubhouse while taking out her cell phone. She sent a text message to Ohgi, hoping that he had returned home from his day job and would be able to respond quickly.

Kaname Ohgi had been her older brother's best friend prior to his death, and he often looked after Kallen as though she were his own little sister. Because of that Kallen trusted Ohgi immensely, especially since they both often risked their lives when performing their attacks on Britannian military outposts or hijacking trucks full of poison gas.

Kallen looked down at her cell phone and saw that there was no response yet. Ohgi must have still been at his construction job, meaning that he was probably still inside the Concession or possibly just getting on the bus to return to the ghetto. Sighing in frustration, Kallen continued her journey to the clubhouse before gently knocking on the doors.

The doors soon opened and she found Lelouch standing in the doorway. "Well... glad to see you chose to stay," he said to her before gesturing for her to step inside the clubhouse. Kallen nodded her head before walking past him. Lelouch slowly closed the door behind her.

"So... once you've talked with Milly about whatever she needs, we can talk about... you know... _stuff_ ," Lelouch said carefully and slightly awkwardly. Kallen raised an eyebrow at him.

"The others are in the top part of the clubhouse waiting for you. I'd rather not say anything we don't want them to overhear," he explained quietly. Kallen nodded her head in understanding.

The two of them slowly made their way up the stairs to the top floor of the clubhouse, where Lelouch motioned for Kallen to wait as he opened the doors to the main activity room. As soon as he opened the doors, he was showered in confetti and streamers. Milly stepped forward and frowned at him.

"Where's Kallen?" she asked Lelouch. Lelouch wordlessly pointed to his right, causing Milly to turn her head to look at Kallen, whose eyes were wide as she took in the sight of Lelouch covered in confetti and streamers. "Lelouch! Quit hogging all of the party stuff for yourself!" Milly joked before rushing over to Kallen.

"It's been a while since we've seen you in school, Miss Stadtfeld!" Milly said as she carefully put and arm behind Kallen and walked her into the meeting room. "Have you been avoiding us for some reason? I hope it's not something Lelouch did," Milly said humorously.

"Uh... n-no. I... um, Lelouch said you wanted me to join a club or something?" Kallen asked in response, still somewhat bewildered. She had heard rumors about Milly Ashford's eccentricity, but she had always figured those to be exaggerations. She was now learning that they were all completely true.

Looking around, Kallen noticed the other members of the Student Council, including Rivalz Cardemonde, Nina Einstein, and Shirley Fenette. Nina was a descendant of a German scientist whose family had moved to the Britannian mainland back in the 1930's. She had dark green hair and large glasses.

Shirley Fenette was an orange-haired girl with yellow-green eyes. Shirley held out her hands for Kallen to shake them. "Nice to finally meet you, Kallen!" Shirley chirped with a smile. Kallen returned the smile, albeit somewhat awkwardly.

"I know it probably seems like a bit much, but Milly just can't restrain herself from going overboard. She's physically incapable of moderation," Shirley joked. Kallen nodded her head.

"So, um... what club should I join?" Kallen asked as she looked around, keeping up her facade.

"Well, the reason you're here isn't merely to join a club," Milly said with a grin. "You're here because we're inducting you into the Student Council!" she exclaimed. Kallen blinked rapidly in surprise.

Soon, another door to the main club room opened and a younger girl in a wheelchair was brought inside, with a Japanese maid following behind her. The girl raised her right hand and waved at Kallen. "Hello!" she chirped with a smile.

"Kallen, this is Nunnally Lamperouge, our Honorary Council member," Milly said with a smile on her face. "And this is her maid, Sayoko Shinozaki," Milly added. Sayoko gave her a brief bow. Kallen nodded her head slowly as she took everything in.

Nunnally held a hand out to Kallen. Kallen held out her own hand and gave Nunnally's a gentle shake before pulling back. "Lamperouge? So, you're Lelouch's sister?" Kallen asked as she noticed the differences in hair and eye color between the two supposed siblings.

"I've dyed my hair," Nunnally explained, pointing to her eyebrows as proof. Kallen nodded her head in response.

"So, why do you dye it?" Kallen asked her.

"Well, would _you_ want people to know that you're related to _him_?" she asked teasingly.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean!?" Lelouch asked in mock offense.

Kallen chuckled lightly at the two siblings' interaction. She then heard a commotion behind her and turned around to see Rivalz holding a bottle of champagne. "Champagne?" Kallen asked curiously.

"It's a special occasion!" Rivalz said with a smile as he manage to uncork the bottle, sending the cork flying straight at Kallen. She quickly swatted it away by reflex, before the champagne itself shot out of the bottle from the pressure and landed on her uniform.

"Oops!" Rivalz said with a gulp. "I-I... I'm so sorry! I-I didn't mean to-" "It's okay," Kallen said shakily. "If you have a sink somewhere, I can get this taken care of," Kallen said as she looked over at Milly.

"There's a bathroom down the hall that you can use. It has a shower in it," Milly said before she turned to look at Lelouch. "Lelouch! Grab the lady some clean clothes while I escort her to the shower!" Milly barked as she walked over to Kallen and dragged her out of the room.

Lelouch sighed and made his way into the hallway as well, although he went in a different direction.

 **Shortly Afterward, In the Large Bathroom...**

Stepping into the shower, Kallen drew the curtains close before letting the warm water cascade over her. She soon heard a knock on the bathroom door. Peeking out through the curtains, she shouted for whoever it was to enter the room. She saw the door open and realized that it was Lelouch. He quickly closed the door behind him as he rested a set of folded clothes on the sink counter.

"Sorry about that," he said as Kallen returned to the interior of the shower to wash off the champagne. "I didn't expect Milly to have things set up so quickly," he added apologetically.

"It's... all right. So, you certainly moved between here and the dorms rather fast," Kallen said in her normal voice. Since Lelouch already knew who she really was, there was no point in putting on the sick girl facade in front of him. However, that still raised several questions in her mind.

"Well, I actually live here in the clubhouse with my sister. The Ashfords let us stay here," Lelouch explained.

Kallen raised an eyebrow, not that Lelouch could see it. "They let you stay here? Why is that?" Kallen asked him curiously.

"Well, you saw how my sister is wheelchair-bound, didn't you? That happened during our childhood when our mother was killed," Lelouch explained, causing Kallen's eyes to widen.

"See, the Ashfords were on friendly terms with our family, particularly my mother. In fact, our two families had agreed to set both myself and Milly up in an arranged marriage when we were old enough, but when my mother died, things kind of went south. My sister was crippled by a stray bullet, and my father disowned her as a result," Lelouch said bitterly.

"He... _disowned her!?_ " Kallen asked incredulously.

"Indeed. Part of that Britannian ideology of the strong devouring the weak," Lelouch said with a frown. "I was disowned for defending her, so the Ashfords took us in and we've been living here ever since," Lelouch said.

"Okay," Kallen said, nodding her head in understanding. "But that still doesn't explain you helping us yesterday," she said.

"Kallen, how long do you think my sister will last in the real world if Britannia doesn't change? If the ideology of the strong devouring the weak remains the status quo? She won't last more than a year on her own," Lelouch said. "If something happens to me, she'll be on her own, and after school... she won't survive in this world if something about it doesn't change," he added.

"That's why I'm fighting against Britannia. I'm going to change it, make it into a better world where my sister and others like her can live full lives without being cast aside by society," Lelouch said with determination in his voice.

"And to get revenge against your father, right?" Kallen asked him.

Lelouch was silent for a minute before he spoke again. "Yes," he finally said. "But you must be fighting for your own reasons as well, are't you?" he then asked Kallen in return.

"My brother," Kallen finally said as she turned off the water. She reached out from the curtains for a towel, only to realize she had forgotten to grab one. "Um... could you, perhaps, hand me a towel... please?" Kallen asked as she peeked around the curtains.

Lelouch nodded his head and walked over to a cabinet nearby to retrieve a large towel. "So, you said that you fight Britannia for your brother. Is he in a similar condition to my sister?" Lelouch asked Kallen as he handed her the towel.

"No. He's dead," she replied as she started drying off.

"Was he killed while fighting in the... resistance?" Lelouch asked her.

"No," Kallen said bluntly with bitterness in her voice. "He was killed for being half Japanese," she said with a frown. Lelouch's eyes widened.

"A hate crime," he said. It wasn't a question. Kallen nodded her head in confirmation.

"He went out one day to buy some groceries, and then he never came home. I later found out that he had been beaten to death because someone found out that he was only half Britannian. The cops didn't even care. In fact, I'm pretty sure that some of them may have been involved," Kallen said bitterly as she continued drying off.

Lelouch looked away as Kallen pulled back the curtain, having now wrapped the towel around her body. "So, we're both fighting for revenge," Lelouch stated. "In that case, I want you to get me an audience with your cell. Ohgi is the guy is charge, right?" Lelouch asked Kallen.

"He is. My brother used to be the leader, but after he died, Ohgi took over," Kallen explained. "They were best friends growing up, even after the Invasion happened and Ohgi lost his job as a teacher," Kallen said. "When do you want to meet him?" she asked.

"Next weekend. I want you to have all of the surviving members of your cell get together. I'll scout for a suitable location tonight, and then... I'll need your cell phone number so I can call you to give you the location," Lelouch said.

"Lelouch... I don't know if you've thought of this, but I'm not sure that the others are gonna like working with a full-blooded Britannian," Kallen said. "Britannia took away their homes and their old lives. They're not gonna just accept a Britannian into the group, even if you prove yourself to be Kay-One to them. If you want them to accept you, you're gonna need to do something spectacular," Kallen said.

"Saving their lives doesn't count?" he asked her.

"They might thank you for that, but... I don't know how they'll take things in the long run," she said.

Lelouch pursed his lips and brought his hand up to his chin as he entered a state of deep thought. "Well then... I may have an idea," he finally spoke, grinning. Kallen raised an eyebrow at him.

"What kind of idea?" she asked him curiously.

"You'll see next weekend. For now, I'll be waiting for you in the main club room. Be sure to give your phone number to Milly and agree to be part of the Student Council. That way I can see your number without raising any suspicion... or giving Milly something to tease me about. I'll leave you to get dressed now. I'll call you when I've finished making the preparations for the meeting... Q-One," Lelouch said with a smirk before turning around and leaving the bathroom.

Kallen stood there for a minute, staring at the door in contemplation. "Wait, is he... giving me _orders?_ " she asked rhetorically. "That son of a bitch," she muttered before shaking her head.

* * *

 **ENDING THEME:** _ **A Kind Of Magic**_ **, by Queen.**

* * *

 **PREVIEW OF NEXT TIME**

Next time on _Two Steps Forward, One Step Backward_ , Lelouch introduces himself to Ohgi's cell under the moniker of Zero, while Clovis allows the Purebloods to enact a pogrom under the guise of drug raids throughout the ghettos as they try to find General Bartley's killers.

* * *

Author's Notes: And that was the third chapter! So many deviations from canon, and I take pride in that!

So, let's get some things cleared up. _Two Steps_ Lelouch is still a brilliant strategist, but he's much more pragmatic than in canon. Also, he didn't bother with that bizarre phone trick from canon because he's already outed himself to Kallen, so there wouldn't be any logical reason for him to do that. Finally, Lelouch outing himself to Kallen and tripping up was a result of him being caught off guard when he discovered the next limitation for his Geass. The reason for him being this way is because I'm also trying to make Lelouch a little bit more relatable to the readers. Sure, he's a genius, but even geniuses slip up now and then. And, yes... I am taking _some_ influence from Code MENT in Lelouch's characterization, although only to a very small degree.

Now, in regards to Nunnally... I'm not keeping her canon personality intact. I'm not doing it. Same thing with Shirley. Oh, she's still got a small crush on Lelouch, but it's nowhere near the defining trait for her that it was in canon, where all she ever talked about or thought about was Lelouch. _Two Steps_ Shirley is much less focused on Lelouch and more focused on her schooling, meaning that I can... well, you'll see eventually.

Now, Rivalz I've kept pretty much intact because... eh, he's not really important enough to warrant any major overhauls in personality. He's fine the way he was portrayed in canon.

Now, onto... _Nina Einstein_. Oh, sweet, insane Nina. Given that I'm planning to drastically deviate from canon as the story continues, I'm not really sure what to do with her. I mean, she still exists, but... what to do with her? I guess I'll figure something out eventually.

Now let's discuss Milly... who I've decided to leave mostly intact, because we need her in order to balance out the drama of C.C. and the rebellion. Milly provides that humor while also being capable of adding drama in her own way.

As for C.C., well... I've already gone over her in the pre-story notes.

Sayoko remains pretty much the same as in canon.

Jeremiah... oh, I've got plans for him. Plans that involve the backstory of another character being changed dramatically. Now, I want some of you to wonder just why I changed Jeremiah's backstory so that he was Empress Marianne's Knight of Honor. Why would I make this change and how does it affect the story? Who else's backstory gets changed because of this?

Now, for Villetta... I'm keeping her mostly intact for the time being.

Now, for Kewell... oh, he's not featured in this chapter. Never mind then.

Now, Clovis... oh, Clovis, Clovis, Clovis. What you are going to see here is Clovis starting out incompetent but slowly becoming more dangerous as the story progresses... because he _learns_ from his mistakes. When Zero appears, Clovis will find himself being forced to adapt as he fears for his life, thus causing him to become a more potent threat than he ever was in canon... though he still won't be anywhere near the level of Cornelia or even Schneizel on the threat meter.

So, now... Suzaku. Suzaku is a character I am overhauling drastically in comparison to his canon counterpart. _Two Steps_ Suzaku is much less naive and suicidal, although he still feels guilt over his father's death. He's also much less stupid as well. Suzaku clearly retains his optimism from canon, but this time it's balanced out with some cynicism and a slightly more jaded world view. He wants to make a difference in the world, but he also knows that he has to be careful or else people who don't share his views will quickly put and end to that permanently. Like how he was escorting Japanese civilians in the ghetto to the subways in Chapter 01.

Now, for _Kallen_. In this version, Kallen now already knows that Lelouch is the voice on the radio, and when he debuts as Zero, she's aware of that too. However... she is _not_ aware of his true name being _vi Britannia_ , which I am saving the reveal of for another couple chapters down the road. This is where I'm making the big changes from canon, because I believe that if Lelouch had actually revealed his identity to at least one or two of the Black Knights early on, he could have avoided at least half of the problems he dealt with throughout the series.

Hell, maybe Kallen would have saved his ass from Suzaku at the end of R1 if she had known earlier, and then the bullshit that was R2 wouldn't have happened. So, even though this is a spoiler, I _am_ going to have Lelouch reveal his identity to at small number of the Black Knights early on, because this Lelouch has a bit more _sense_ than canon Lelouch. Not much, but just enough that he doesn't make the exact same mistakes... or at least not all of them.

Cecile Croomy and Lloyd Asplund remain mostly intact, although I have made Cecile a bit less shy than she was in canon. Lloyd, however... there's no need for me to change his personality.

I, Anguirus1955, command you to let me know what you think of the chapter and/or story so far in your reviews!


	4. Countdown To Zero

**CODE GEASS: Two Steps Forward, One Step Backward**

By Anguirus1955

Disclaimer: Code Geass is the intellectual property of Studio Sunrise.

So, here's chapter 04 of the story. Clovis is still alive, Bartley is dead, and the story goes in a different direction for a brief period. As some of you may have noticed, Jeremiah Gottwald is not as fanatical or as zealous as he was in R1, because here he is much more level-headed, due to his changed backstory of being Empress Marianne's Knight. Marianne was born a commoner, which Purebloods look down upon. Jeremiah is the leader of the Purebloods, though mostly as a result of trying to save face after Marianne's death and the fact that he is intentionally trying to keep them under control, although nobody knows this but himself. However, some variations of what happened in canon Episode 04 do occur here, but under very different circumstances. Oh, and a big clue to that stuff I mentioned in the previous chapter's author notes can be found hidden within this chapter if you pay attention.

Villetta Nu is a commoner by birth, and because Jeremiah allowed her into the Purebloods anyway so that she could prove herself and earn a hereditary title such as Baroness (which she has not yet achieved), she is loyal to him. With me so far? Good. Now, I've realized that a Jeremiah x Villetta pairing, while interesting, would be out of the question due to the regulations in place for members of the military. And with both of these characters being in positions where they have to be extremely careful... yeah, that pairing can only happen in a story _devoted_ to it, or one of them has to leave the military, or both of them leave the military, and that ain't happening anytime soon in _this_ story.

So, down goes that ship. However, I was recently suggested a Jeremiah X Sayoko pairing by a reviewer, and while I can see how that has merit, I don't know if I have what it takes to pull it off in a way that seems... convincing and not forced. Alsmash was able to do it in _Ice And Fire_ because he had drastically altered the timeline of events in the series backstory. I am not quite doing that here, at least not to such a degree.

Although... I _have_ thought of a way to pull off the Villetta x Ohgi pairing in the future. It involves temporary amnesia, feigned amnesia, panic attacks, bad karaoke, bonding over pizza, inner struggles with one's sense of right and wrong, an accidental phone call to Tamaki, attempted murder, and finally seduction. I'll leave who does what up to your imaginations until I get to that point, which will be at least another fifteen or so chapters, if not longer.

On a related note, I've decided to make Ohgi a little bit more decisive and capable in this story than he was in canon.

On another note, I'm pretty sure it's obvious just who this "Charlie" that C.C. mentioned is in the previous chapter. I mean, it _should_ be obvious. He's not an OC.

Also, Kewell Soresi is properly introduced in this chapter, and he will differ a little bit from canon, but not too much.

For another note, regarding Suzaku... I'm not sure if I made this clear in Chapter 02, but in this story, Suzaku is already a test pilot for the ASEEC group prior to Shinjuku, so he isn't chosen as the Lancelot's pilot at random. He was assigned to Lloyd's team because the people in charge thought he would probably die while testing out Lloyd's dangerous machines.

One last thing, with Zero being introduced in this chapter, I would like to say that the Zero outfit is exactly the same as it is in the canon series, right down to the last button and glove.

Also, brace yourselves, because this chapter is going to be kind of long compared to the previous one. There's a lot of shit happening in this chapter. Oh, and there are a couple of references to Code MENT here and there, because Code MENT is what renewed my interest in Code Geass after I stopped watching it.

One more thing, Pizza Hut is a proud supporter of the rebellion!

As with all stories that I write, I listen to music while writing to help myself get into a groove or to help myself capture certain feelings while writing. It can help inspire me sometimes. Music that I listened to while writing this chapter include _Code Geass OST_ 1 - 2 (2006 - 2007) by Kotaro Nakagawa, _The Fifth Element_ (1997) by Eric Serra, _Batman_ (1989) by Danny Elfman, and _Halo 2 Anniversary Original Soundtrack_ (2014) by Martin O'Donnell & Michael Salvatori with new recordings by Skywalker Sound.

Please note that listening to this music while reading the story is _**not**_ a requirement. I simply provide this as a little something extra to help enhance the reading experience, if you the readers so wish to do so. Most of this music can be found and heard on YouTube or any number of anime soundtrack websites.

Sudden and Suspicious Disclaimer: I also advocate the purchasing and obtaining of official soundtracks through legal means.

Music From _Code Geass OST 1 - 2_ (2006 - 2007): _Zero_ , _Strange Girl_ , _Cold Nobility_ , _Occupied Thinking_ , _Feel Ambivalents_ , _Baked Words_ , _In Justice_ , _Shin Troop._

Music From _Batman_ (1989): _Bat Cave_ , _Descent Into Mystery_ , _Batman Theme_.

Music From _Halo 2 Anniversary_ (2014): _Not A Number_ , _Second Prelude_ , _Trapped In Amber_ , _Builder's Legacy_.

 **Track Order Listing - All After Opening Theme And Before Ending Theme**

 **01**. _Baked Words_ (Lelouch plotting/C.C. and pizza), **02**. _Last Adolescence_ (Nunnally and Sayoko/Breakfast), **03**. _Feel Ambivalents_ (The Purebloods' plan), **04**. _Bat Cave_ (Tokyo Tower/Meeting Zero), **05**. _Shin Troop_ (1st raid), **06**. _Builder's Legacy_ (Convoy/2nd raid), **07**. _Descent Into Mystery_ (Box opens/Zero).

 **Music After Ending Theme**

 **08**. _Not A Number_

* * *

 **OPENING THEME:** _ **Princes Of The Universe**_ **(By Queen)**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 04: Countdown To Zero**

* * *

 **Ashford Academy, Saturday Morning, August 19, 2017 ATB**

Sitting at a desk nearby, Lelouch glanced over at his doorway as he uploaded all of the audio recordings from his stolen helmet into his laptop. He had already eaten breakfast with Nunnally, so there wouldn't be any reason for her to barge into his room and bother him. However, that still left the green haired girl with a habit of disappearing into thin air whenever he wanted to question her.

Following the induction of Kallen into the Student Council, C.C. had practically disappeared until Lelouch was getting ready for bed, at which point he was too tired to ask her about his Geass and its limitations as he had planned. It was almost as if she had _planned_ to not show up until he was too tired to ask her anything. Given her immortality, Lelouch wouldn't put it past the girl to be capable of such scheming.

In the meantime, as he listened to the recordings of Bartley's various access codes, Lelouch made sure to types them into a wordpad program on his laptop for ease of use later on. He paused the audio and glanced over at the door of his room yet again for a few seconds before resuming his task. It took him at least another thirty minutes, but soon he was finished and had all of the access codes typed down. He quickly saved the file and put it in a folder hidden in the Documents library of his operating system before accessing the folder's properties and marking it as a hidden object, to make sure that no one would find it except himself when he needed it.

It wouldn't do him any good for someone else to find that file on his laptop and start asking questions. He carefully disconnected the cord connecting the helmet to his laptop and stashed the helmet away again. As he returned to his laptop, he began searching for suitable locations to meet with Kallen's cell next weekend.

 _I need someplace that won't be easily found, but isn't so remote as to make them think I'm leading them into a trap. I also need to make sure that all of them are together when this happens. Decisions, decisions, decisions..._

Lelouch was interrupted from his musings when he heard the door to his room open and a familiar tantalizing scent wafted into his nose. Turning around in his chair, Lelouch watched as C.C., wearing blue jeans and a black T-shirt, walked over to the bed while holding a large box of pizza with the Pizza Hut logo on it. C.C. gingerly sat down on the edge of the bed with a smile on her face as she opened the lid of the box and quickly retrieved a large slice of ham & pineapple pizza.

"I hope you have napkins," Lelouch said warily to her as he eyed the dripping cheese and crumbs falling into the box from the large edible triangle in C.C.'s right hand. C.C. eyed him mischievously, and he rolled his eyes in response with a sigh. "Okay, fine. You don't have to use napkins, but if you make a mess, you're cleaning it up. Got it?" Lelouch asked her sternly.

C.C. nodded her head. It was then that something occurred to Lelouch. "Wait a minute... how did you pay for that?" Lelouch asked, before his eyes widened and he got up from his chair to go over to his dresser and pull out his wallet. The cash inside was the same as it was the previous day, but he noticed that his debit card was missing.

Lelouch turned to look at C.C. with a glare. "Hand it over. _Now_ ," Lelouch demanded sternly, holding a hand out for emphasis. C.C. tilted her head at him as she chewed on her pizza like an innocent little angel. Lelouch was not amused as he narrowed his eyes at her. "Cee-Two, give me my debit card," Lelouch demanded again.

C.C. rolled her eyes and stood up before reaching into her blue jeans to retrieve said plastic rectangle. She handed it over to Lelouch and walked back over to the bed before plopping herself down on it again, her pizza still in her mouth the whole time. "Just for that, I'm taking a slice for myself," Lelouch said vindictively as he walked over and snatched a slice out of the box, much to C.C.'s bewilderment.

Lelouch slowly munched on the pizza as he returned to his chair and laptop, resuming his previous task. C.C. watched him with amusement on her face as she heard him cursing when he realized that he was getting grease all over his laptop. _I guess he should have gotten a napkin_ , C.C. mused to herself.

* * *

 **Prince Clovis's Office, The Viceroy's Palace, Tokyo Concession, Area 11, Later That Afternoon...**

Clovis looked at the script in his hands as he went over it word by word. Standing by him were several aides, although none of them had been involved in the production of the script for Bartley's funeral speech. Clovis alone had done that, and now he was preparing himself for what he would be saying in front of the cameras on Monday. Today, of course, he had to worry about another script that had been typed up: the script for _announcing_ Bartley's death to the public.

Looking around the office, Clovis saw Kewell Soresi, a member of the Pureblood Faction, standing at attention. "Soresi, speak," Clovis said. Kewell nodded his head curtly.

"Your Highness, the press is waiting in the main convention hall," Kewell said.

Clovis nodded his head in return. "Of course they are. I just need to go over this script one more time. In the meantime, how is the investigation coming along?" Clovis asked Kewell.

"Margrave Gottwald is still interviewing our surviving troops from the battle. He is being very thorough, as the security systems of the Gee-One had been temporarily disabled just prior to General Asprius's death, giving us no footage of the killers to work with," Kewell explained.

"I already know about the security shutdown!" Clovis snapped. "I want to know if there are any leads so far," he clarified. Kewell inhaled quietly before nodding his head.

"None yet sir, although Lieutenant Nu recalls having a brief memory lapse when her Sutherland was stolen, leaving her unable to identify to perpetrator. However, it is likely that whoever commandeered her Sutherland was responsible for General Asprius's death. As such, her Sutherland is being swept for any and all signs of whoever had commandeered it. Its internal recording systems are also being analyzed, as per Margrave Gottwald's orders," Kewell reported.

"Good. I want any and all updates in the investigation forwarded to me as soon as they develop. I want to know how this happened in the first place," Clovis said, although he already had his suspicions, but he wouldn't dare say them out loud.

 **A Few Minutes Later, In the Main Convention Hall...**

Numerous reporters and journalists were sitting in chairs in front of a podium that had been erected on a red-carpeted floor. Many of them were busy talking amongst themselves or mingling with each other. Several camera operators from a variety of news agencies had set up their equipment around the room as everybody waited for Prince Clovis to arrive.

Sitting in a chair next to one camera operator, Diethard Ried made the occasional nervous glance around the room as he held a note pad in his hand and an audio recorder in another. The notepad held drawings of various cartoon animals. Diethard's most recent cartoon was that of a house cat riding a unicorn across a street while holding a bottle of whiskey in one paw.

" _Always, I want to be with you, and make believe with you, and_..." Diethard sang quietly to himself as he started up another drawing of a dragon using minivans for shoes while skating across an empty street. He had just finished drawing the wheels of the minivans when the doors of the room opened, causing him to look up as everyone began focusing their attention on Clovis la Britannia. Diethard flipped a page of the notepad to cover his doodles as he turned on his audio recorder and held it out.

Clovis walked up to the podium and allowed a somber expression to cross his face. He tapped the microphones that had been set up in front of him before clearing his throat. "Ahem. Ladies and gentlemen of Area Eleven, it is my most... somber of duties to inform everyone that one of our most prestigious and beloved of heroes, General Bartley Asprius, has fallen in the line of duty," Clovis said in a theatrically somber tone.

Everyone's eyes widened in surprise, including Diethard. "General Asprius was a devoted soldier of Britannia, a man who took pride in his job and always pushed to make our people safe," Clovis wept for the cameras. "Alas, it has been reported to me and confirmed by troops under his command that he was slain in battle on Thursday while pursuing a group of terrorists into the Shinjuku Ghetto. The investigation into how these terrorists were able to penetrate General Asprius's defensive perimeter and cause his death is still ongoing, but rest assured that we will eventually find the perpetrators and bring them to justice!" Clovis announced.

"This crime will not go unpunished! Those responsible for this travesty, for the murder of this brave man, _will_ be held accountable! Mark my words, for I will leave no stone unturned in my efforts to ensure justice for General Asprius, a man who represented the best of Britannia at its core!" Clovis added with gusto.

* * *

 **Kallen's Bedroom, The Stadtfeld Estate...**

" _This crime will not go unpunished! Those responsible for this travesty, for the murder of this brave man, will be held accountable! Mark my words, for I will leave no stone unturned in my efforts to ensure justice for General Asprius, a man who represented the best of Britannia at its core!_ "

Sitting on her bed, Kallen Stadtfeld/Kozuki snorted with narrowed eyes at the visage of Clovis on the television screen. "Brave man? Sure, buddy. Whatever you say," Kallen said mockingly as she grabbed the remote and changed to channel, only to find that every channel had been forced to broadcast the same thing. "Oh, give me a break!" Kallen spat before shutting off her TV.

She looked around her room before seeing her cell phone lying on her dresser. She quickly unplugged it and called Ohgi, hoping to hear the voice of someone honest in her ears. The dialing sound rang in her ears as she waited for him to pick up, until she finally heard a clicking noise.

" _Yo, what's up?_ " Ohgi asked over the phone.

"Hey, Ohgi, have you seen the news?" Kallen asked him.

" _Who_ _ **hasn't**_ _seen it?_ " Ohgi asked in response. " _Anyway, I've got no idea what Clovis is gonna do in retaliation for what happened to Bartley, but I think we should all lay low for a while before we do anything again_ ," Ohgi said.

"But we managed to wound them!" Kallen retorted. "We should strike again while they're still bleeding!" she added adamantly.

" _Yeah, and they're probably already healing their wounds. Look, Kallen, I know you must feel pretty confident after Kay-One helped us on Thursday, but if we get overconfident, we're gonna trip up and get caught. For the time being, just enjoy being at school and having fun with your friends_ ," Ohgi said. " _Speaking of which, how are things going at school for you anyway?_ "

"Oh, school's fine. I was indicted into the Student Council yesterday," Kallen said.

" _Um... indicted? You were thrown out?_ " Ohgi asked her with concern.

"No, I was sworn in," Kallen said, raising an eyebrow in confusion at Ohgi's concern.

" _But you just said... Oh! You mean_ **inducted** ," Ohgi said. Kallen frowned slightly in response to being corrected.

"Uh... y-yeah. _Inducted_ is what I meant to say. _Heh-heh_ ," Kallen said with a chuckle, trying to save face as an embarrassed expression marred her features. "Oh! By the way, um... I was contacted by Kay-One yesterday," Kallen said.

" _You were!? How did he contact you?_ " Ohgi asked her. Kallen was about to open her mouth when she remembered her own words to Lelouch the previous day.

"Well... he somehow discovered my phone number," she lied.

" _How did he do that?_ " Ohgi asked her.

"I asked him the same thing, and he told me not to worry about it," she continued lying.

" _Uh... I_ _ **would**_ _worry about that Kallen. It means this guy knows who you are. We still don't know anything about him, and even though he helped us out on Thursday, everyone else is still pretty skeptical about this guy. That being said, what did he say when he contacted you?_ " Ohgi asked her.

"Well... he said he wants to meet up with us next weekend," Kallen answered.

" _Did he say where or which day? Did he say what time?_ " Ohgi asked her.

"No. He said he would have a specific location ready when the time came and he would contact me so that I could tell everyone else. I don't think he has anyone else's phone numbers," Kallen replied.

" _Sounds kind of suspicious to me_ ," Ohgi said warily.

"Same here, but after what he did on Thursday, maybe we should at least hear what he has to offer us," Kallen said.

" _Alright, I guess. But just be careful, Kallen. For all we know, this could be some kind of trap_ ," Ohgi warned.

"Only one way to find out," Kallen said.

" _Alright. I'll talk to ya later. Stay safe, and tell your mother I said hello, will ya?_ " Ohgi responded.

"I will. You take care too, Ohgi. Bye," Kallen said before hanging up. She then grabbed the remote and turned on the TV again. Clovis's speech had apparently ended and the usual programming had resumed. " _Finally_ ," Kallen muttered to herself.

* * *

 **Ashford Academy, Monday Morning, August 21, 2017 ATB**

Sitting in front of her bathroom mirror, Nunnally "Lamperouge" held up her contact lenses as she prepared to put them on. She briefly looked into the mirror to take one last look at her natural orange eyes before covering them up with the blue of the contacts. After blinking twice to make sure that they were in place, Nunnally sighed before wheeling herself out of the bathroom and into her bedroom, where Sayoko was waiting for her.

"Are you ready, my lady?" Sayoko asked her with a smile. Nunnally sniffed the air as the smell of bacon and eggs wafted through her nose, along with pancakes. A smile spread across her face as she nodded in response to Sayoko's question. If Sayoko was going to insist that she allow herself to be wheeled to the kitchen instead of doing it herself, then she was going to make sure that she enjoyed it, despite her insecurities about always being wheeled around by another person.

As soon as Sayoko was behind her, Nunnally held an arm out into the air, pointing forward with one finger. "Onward, my noble ninja maid! _**To breakfast!**_ " Nunnally ordered with the authority of a military general, coupled with an equally serious expression on her face.

Sayoko smiled at Nunnally's attitude before nodding her head. "Yes, my queen!" Sayoko laughed gently in response as she started pushing Nunnally through the bedroom. As they passed through the hallway, Sayoko looked down at the sandy brown hair of her charge before looking up and pausing at the door of the elevator that would take them downstairs.

 **At The Breakfast Table...**

"Aack!" Lelouch cried out as he stepped back from the splashing grease in the skillet. "Stupid sausages!" he spat as he glared at the brown links before him. He grabbed a hand towel and wrapped it around his right hand, wincing as the cloth made contact with the most recent hot spots from the splashing grease. "Where are those fucking oven mitts?" Lelouch grumbled as he turned off the stove and moved the skillet to an inactive burner.

"Hmm... maybe you should just order pizza for breakfast," C.C. suggested as she leaned back in her chair. Lelouch turned and glared at her. "What? You wouldn't have to worry about hot grease," she said in her defense.

Lelouch quietly shook his head at C.C. before turning around and grabbing some plates to put the food onto. He quickly set the table and was just finishing up when Sayoko and Nunnally arrived in the room. "Good morning!" Lelouch chirped at his sister and Sayoko. Nunnally smiled and nodded her head in response.

"Good morning, Master Lelouch," Sayoko said with a very short bow as she wheeled Nunnally over to the table. Lelouch pulled out a chair for Sayoko before sitting down himself. C.C. watched the scene with a serene expression on her face as the small family began eating. After a minute, she joined them.

After thirty minutes, Lelouch checked the clock on the wall and stood up, taking his empty plate over to the sink. "Well, I've got a Student Council meeting to attend in about... twenty minutes, so I need to get the clubroom ready," Lelouch said as he washed his hands.

Nunnally nodded her head, as did Sayoko. C.C. merely raised an eyebrow and went back to slowly eating her food. "Sayoko, please make sure that Cee-Two cleans up after herself when she's done," Lelouch requested as he made his way through the door of the kitchen and into a short hallway.

As he made his way to a staircase, Lelouch pulled out his cell phone and checked it for new messages. Just as he had hoped, there were a series of new messages from the owner of a fabric store he had visited and used his Geass on over the weekend. The suits that he had requested were ready for pickup, and he had used very specific command parameters to make sure that the Geass would not wear off until _after_ the suits had been retrieved. So, _Kallen thinks I should do something spectacular, huh? Just wait until she's introduced to Zero_ , Lelouch thought to himself as he continued making his way up the stairs, quickly pocketing his phone.

When he arrived, he found that Milly was already in the clubroom getting things set up. "Huh, I didn't expect you to be here so... _early_ ," Lelouch said. "You could have joined us for breakfast," he added. Milly simply shrugged her shoulders in response.

"So... what's gonna be on the agenda for this morning's meeting?" Lelouch asked her as he walked over to help her set up some chairs.

"Oh, it's mostly just going to be budget concerns and plans for the December trip to Lake Kawaguchi," Milly said. "By the way, are you still gonna pilot the Ganymede for the school festival this year?" Milly asked Lelouch as she leaned against a chair.

"Well, if nobody else shows interest then I guess I have no choice in the matter," Lelouch replied. Milly nodded her head in response. "Milly... I think next week is when we should enroll Cee-Two into the school," Lelouch then stated.

Milly slowly nodded her head in agreement with his statement. "Yeah. I think that's a long enough wait time. Still... I do wish she would try to be more careful with my clothes. I've been finding grease stains on the uniforms that I've given her," she said with a frown.

"I'll talk to her about that," Lelouch said. The next few minutes passed in silence until the clubroom doors opened and the others entered the room, including Kallen, who glanced at Lelouch briefly before making her way over to the table. Lelouch nodded his head curtly before pulling out a chair for her and then sitting down next to her. Kallen eyed him warily, but otherwise kept up her sickly persona as the meeting began.

"All right, now that we're all here, we can work on getting our budget straightened out," Milly announced as she looked over to Nina, who was the treasurer. "Nina, please show us those marvelous graphs and charts that you worked on over the weekend," Milly said with a smile. Nina nodded her head and opened a large folder in her hands to pull out several copies of the Student Council's budget and various financial charts showing what they had available, what was needed by each club, and how things would have to be spread out.

* * *

 **Viceroy's Office, The Viceroy's Palace, Tokyo Concession, Area 11, Thursday, August 24, 2017 ATB**

"So, just tell this to me one more time," Clovis said as he sat behind his desk. Standing in front of him were members of the Pureblood Faction, including Jeremiah Gottwald, Villetta Nu, and Kewell Soresi.

"Of course, Your Highness," Jeremiah said. He then glanced over at Kewell. "Kewell, proceed once more," Jeremiah said, having no desire to actually be the one to propose the plan that Kewell and the other Purebloods had come up with in the past two days.

Kewell nodded his head with a smile before clearing his throat. "Viceroy Prince Clovis, our plan to sniff out the terrorists responsible for General Bartley Asprius's death is really quiet simple. You see, we have no doubt that the terrorists are hiding in the ghettos, _but_ , they were able to acquire Sutherlands during the battle. Because of this, and the fact that we were unable to reacquire them, we know that they must be hiding them somewhere," Kewell explained before stopping to take a breath.

"Go on," Clovis said, resting his chin on the knuckles of one hand as he propped himself up on his table, using his free hand to gesticulate to Kewell. Kewell smirked in response.

"Wherever they are hiding the stolen Sutherlands, we know that the cell must be close by, or at least key members must live in nearby locations to wherever the Knightmares are being stored. If we find the Knightmares, then we can also find the terrorists, or at least reduce their combat ability to a significant degree," Kewell said.

"And you intend to find them by... raiding every building in the ghettos?" Clovis asked him, hiding the fact that he already suspected who Bartley's true killer was.

"Well, not _every_ building, but mostly just the ones large enough to house a Knightmare. Warehouses and the like," Kewell said. "We would, of course, need to bring Knightmares with us in the event that the stolen Sutherlands are activated in retaliation," Kewell added.

"But... if you go in with Knightmares at the start, won't the terrorists figure out what's coming? Certainly, they're numbers, but they _aren't_ complete imbeciles," Clovis said. "I mean, they were smart enough to capable of hijacking a truck containing stolen gas... which _still_ hasn't been returned to our hands," Clovis said darkly.

"Well... we know for a fact that the Elevens in the ghettos are currently dealing with a bit of a drug problem, as are certain Honorary Britannians living in the Concession. We'll disguise our efforts to find the terrorists as drug raids, and we'll arrest every suspicious person we find. And, of course, there may be some damage to various structures as we find the stolen Knightmares and return them to their rightful owners. And some terrorists, or suspected terrorists, may die in the process," Kewell said with a smile.

"So, you want to enact a series of... pogroms?" Clovis asked him with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, that's one way of putting it," Kewell said. "Besides, they're Numbers. Who's going to complain?" Kewell added.

Clovis considered the proposal. _I suppose this would make it easier to find Cee-Two. After all, if she's hiding in the ghettos, then the raids might uncover her. At the very least, even if she isn't taken into custody, the raids could at least force her out into the open where she might be reported, then I can send agents in to find and apprehend her_ , Clovis thought to himself.

"Very well. I give this plan my approval. But... where exactly do you plan to start? Certainly the terrorists won't be stupid enough to hide the stolen Sutherlands in Shinjuku," Clovis asked the trio.

"We'll start in Matsumoto, and then move our way back to Shinjuku, then Saitama, followed by another raid in the Osaka ghettos. Those locations are where the largest reports of Refrain abuse have been found," Jeremiah said.

"Refrain?" Clovis asked him, unfamiliar with the drug.

"Yes," Jeremiah began. "Refrain is a drug that stimulates the user's memory centers and allows them to basically 'relive' memories, usually happy ones, as the drug also targets the brain's happiness centers by causing it to release endorphins. However, as the drug begins to wear off, the crash felt by the user is one that often results in hysteria, nightmares, and even paralysis depending on the memories being relived during said crash and the dosage taken. Many users often die as a result of the crash itself, even first timers," Jeremiah explained.

"Some simply end up in comas, but the problem is that the drug, despite its horrific crashes, is extremely addictive, due to its ability to trigger the release of endorphins in the brain. Because of the serious nature of the drug, we can easily use raids on suspected distribution sites as cover for our true intentions," Jeremiah said in a professional voice.

"But... why bother with the cover?" Clovis asked him curiously.

"Your Highness, once the first raid is performed, word will spread throughout the ghettos. By making it look like we are going after drugs and drug dealers, we can ease the suspicions of the terrorists who killed Bartley and stole those Sutherlands as we home in on them. If our intentions are made clear at the very start, then the terrorists _will_ take steps to hide the Sutherlands even deeper into the ghettos, or perhaps even give them to the Japanese Liberation Front to clean their hands," Jeremiah said.

The Japanese Liberation Front, or JLF for short, was the last remaining remnant of the Japanese Army still hiding somewhere throughout Area 11. While no reports had provided any conclusive numbers, it was generally believed that the JLF held a sizable number of Knightmare Frames and at least several hundred soldiers ready for combat. The most noteworthy individual known to be part of the JLF was Kyoshiro Tohdoh, also known as Miracle Worker Tohdoh, as he had been responsible for each of the Japanese Army's victories against the Britannian forces during the Invasion of Japan.

"I see. Letting those Sutherlands fall into the hands of the JLF would prove to be most troublesome," Clovis said, nodding his head in agreement. "Very well, use the drug raids as cover for your true intentions. I will give you one month to find General Bartley's killers with these raids and/or recover those stolen Sutherlands. If there is no progress by then end of September, I will pull the plug on the operation, as the terrorists will have undoubtedly caught on by then," Clovis said.

"The Elevens are stupid, but they're not _that_ stupid," Clovis added, prompting the others to nod their heads in agreement. The Purebloods then left the office, leaving Clovis alone at his desk. Sighing, he spun his chair around and looked out the window at the Concession. C.C. was hiding somewhere out there, he knew it. It would take some time, but eventually, he would catch her.

* * *

 **The Stadtfeld Estate, Saturday Morning, August 26, 2017 ATB**

While eating breakfast in the dining room, Kallen felt her phone buzzing. Reaching down, she retrieved the phone and opened it to see who was calling. It was a number she had seen only two nights before. Pressing the TALK button on the screen, Kallen held the phone up to her ears. "Kallen Stadtfeld speaking," Kallen said softly.

" _Gather your cell at the Tokyo Tower Observatory by One O'Clock, and then wait at least thirty minutes for me to call you again_ ," Lelouch said over the phone. Kallen nodded her head as she looked over at the clock on the wall. It was only 08:30 in the morning. She would have plenty of time.

"I understand. How do you plan on introducing yourself to the others?" Kallen asked him as she glanced around the dining room. " _Oh, you'll see. Trust me, it'll be quite_ _ **spectacular**_ ," Lelouch replied with a snicker, causing Kallen to frown.

 _I get the feeling this partnership is gonna result in me having a lot of headaches in the future_ , Kallen thought to herself. "Okay. The Tokyo Tower Observatory, at One. Got it. I'll be waiting, but I can't guarantee that _everybody_ is going to show up," Kallen said into the phone.

" _As long as you can get Ohgi and two other members, that'll be enough_ ," Lelouch said.

"Alright. I'm trusting you, so don't screw this up... whatever _this_ is," Kallen said.

" _Dont worry. I promise it will be worth it. Just you wait and see, Q-One_ ," Lelouch said before hanging up. Kallen held the phone away from her ears and looked at it. "Doesn't anyone say 'goodbye' anymore?" she asked rhetorically before setting her phone down and finishing her breakfast of cold cereal and milk.

* * *

 **Tokyo Tower Observatory, Area 11, 12:50 pm...**

Standing in front of a large glass window, Kallen listened to the sound of footsteps approaching behind her. Turning around, she noticed Ohgi in his casual getup, with jeans, a green shirt, and a grey jacket. Kallen was wearing similar attire, though only to keep herself from standing out too much. Nearby, Kallen saw Naomi Inoue, Toru Yoshida, and Shinnichiro Tamaki walking around.

"Where are Sugiyama and Minami?" Kallen asked Ohgi.

"They both had to work today," Ohgi replied as he stepped up next to Kallen and looked out the window of the observatory. The cityscape below them was quite grand in its expanse, but it was marred by the fact that many of the structures in the ghettos had been left to rot and crumble. "So, One O'Clock, right?" Ohgi then asked as he kept looking out the window.

"That's what he said," Kallen replied.

"Have you been able to learn anything about him? His name? Where he's from? Why he's helping us?" Ohgi asked her.

"Well... he claims that a family member of his who was crippled in their childhood has suffered because of Britannia's Social Darwinist policies and ideology. His voice also has a certain accent to it, and he also uses certain words and phrases that I've only heard Britannians use," Kallen said.

Ohgi nodded his head. "So... you think he's Britannian?" Ohgi asked her curiously.

"It's a high probability," Kallen said with a nod of her head, keeping the truth to herself, as Lelouch had instructed her.

"Well... I guess you can't choose where you're born," Ohgi said. "Even if he is Britannian... I guess it wouldn't hurt to meet him in person," he added as he turned away from the window to look down at his wristwatch. He then glanced over at the others before they checked their watches.

Soon, Kallen's phone buzzed and she took it out of its protective case to swipe her finger across the screen. "Hello?" she asked into the phone as she held it up to her ear.

" _I take it that you are at the observatory?_ " Lelouch asked her. "That's right. We're here," Kallen said. " _I want you to take the outbound train on loop line five. You have ten minutes to get aboard. I will be waiting_ ," Lelouch said before hanging up. Kallen looked at the phone before locking the case over it and putting it back in her pocket.

Ohgi looked at her expectantly. "Loop line five, outbound. Let's move," Kallen said as she started walking away. Ohgi gestured for the others to follow him and Kallen through the observatory as they made their way down to the rail line platforms.

After reaching the platform, the group made their way onto the outbound train for loop line 5, stepping inside a seemingly empty train car. As soon as the doors closed, Kallen and the others felt the train begin to move.

" _ **Attention all passengers if you become aware of any suspicious items on board, please alert metro personnel by using the nearest inter-telephone**_ ," an announcer said over the intercom system.

Kallen and the others took their seats on the train as it slowly moved through the rail system. Kallen soon felt her phone vibrate again before she retrieved it and answered it. "Hello?" she asked.

" _I trust you are on the train?_ " Lelouch asked her. "Yeah. Now what do we do?" Kallen asked him.

" _Face forward and look to your right. What do you see?_ " Lelouch asked her as the train passed over the line between the Tokyo Concession and the ghettos. "The Britannian city. It was built on our sacrifice and made with the sweat and tears of those who were crushed underneath Britannia's foot," Kallen replied with a frown.

" _And on your left?_ " Lelouch asked, forcing Kallen to walk over to the left and look at the ghettos beneath them. "I see our city. Remnants of a desiccated city after the Britannians sucked it dry, leaving it to rot and decay with no concern for those still living in it," Kallen replied bitterly.

" _Good answer. Now, please make your way to the front of the train. I have something special waiting for you_ ," Lelouch said before hanging up. Kallen kept the phone in her hands as she gestured for the others to follow her through the train cars that seemed... eerily abandoned and empty.

"Where is everyone?" Tamaki asked as he looked for signs of other passengers. The train cars were otherwise silent and still. The lack of any life at this time of day gave Tamaki the creeps, at least until they entered the penultimate car, which had dozens of people all staring off into space with strange faint red rings in their eyes.

Stopping in front of a young woman who was staring ahead with a vacant expression, Tamaki waved his hands in front of her. She made no response to his actions. Tamaki repeated this again and again with at least thirteen other people. No one seemed to notice him or respond to anything he said or did. "This is weird, guys. I mean _really weird_ ," Tamaki said to Ohgi and the others with a growing sense of unease in his voice.

" _ **The next stop is Okubo. Okubo is next. Those wishing to transfer to the Chuo-Soubu line should exit at the next stop. Okubo will be next. Once again. Those wishing to transfer to the Chuo-Soubu line should exit at the next stop**_ ," an announcer said over the intercom system, breaking the silence.

Soon, as they entered the front train car, they saw a figure standing in the middle of the car, with two dozen people sitting in the seats around him, all of them in the exact same trance state as the people in the previous car. The dark figure had a large dark blue or purple cape wrapped around them, with a dark rounded helmet that completely obscured their face. It reflected the lights of the train car as the figure slowly looked from left to right at the group.

" **Tell me, did you enjoy my tour of the settlement?** " the figure asked them, moving an arm out from beneath the cape to make a sweeping gesture with his gloved hand. His voice was male, but there was a slight synth effect underlying it, implying that there was a voice modulator of some kind built into his helmet. Despite this, Kallen still recognized it as Lelouch's voice.

"So... you're Kay-One?" Ohgi asked cautiously.

" **That is one alias that I use** ," K-1 replied, nodding his head in confirmation. " **But, from today onward, I have another alias that I wish to be known by... ZERO!** " K-1/Zero replied dramatically.

"What!? Come on! There's no way _this_ joker is the guy who helped us in Shinjuku!" Tamaki exclaimed incredulously as he took in the sight of Zero's attire. Inoue raised an eyebrow at Tamaki before returning her attention to the masked man in front of them, occasionally glancing at the seemingly vegetative people around them.

"What did you mean by tour of the settlement? What was the point of that?" Ohgi asked him, ignoring Tamaki's outburst.

" **My point was to illustrate the differences between the settlement and the ghettos** ," Zero replied.

"Yeah, we know," Ohgi said with a frown. "There are a lot of differences between us and them. Very harsh ones at that. And that's why we resist them," he added.

" **Yes, but there is a problem in that thinking. For you see, Britannia will not fall to terrorism** ," Zero said. " **In fact, to them, your actions amount to little more than a childish nuisance** ," he added.

"What did you say!?" Tamaki asked him angrily. "After all the friends and family that we've lost while fighting, you wanna go and claim that we're just a bunch of children!?" Tamaki continued. " **That's not quite-** " "Fuck you, pal!" Tamaki spat at Zero.

" **Look, if you truly wish to change things, then you must know your enemy. It is not people, but Britannia itself! It is a war you must wage, but not on the innocent. Take up your sword! Fight for justice!** " Zero exclaimed, ignoring Tamaki's outburst.

Kallen felt her jaw drop, before she picked it back up. "Look, that's all well and good for motivational rhetoric, but if you want us to _work with you_ , we're gonna need something a bit more substantial," Kallen said, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Yeah, like how about showing us your _face_ , for starters?" Ohgi asked him sternly, his eyes narrowed at the round helmet of Zero.

" **Very well, I'll show you. But rather than my face, bear witness to my power. If I deliver to you the impossible, then I might have earned your trust** ," he said.

"Deliver... the _impossible?_ " Yoshida mumbled curiously with a raised eyebrow. Ohgi shrugged his shoulders in response, while Inoue looked around at the entranced passengers before focusing her attention on Zero again.

"Bear witness to your... _power?_ What do you mean by that?" Inoue asked him curiously. "Wait a minute... did _you_ cause whatever is wrong with these people!?" she asked him with an edge.

" **Indeed I did. I would like to demonstrate this power to you, but first I wish for you all to have some...** _ **protection**_ **, if you will** ," Zero said as he lifted a leg and kicked a small box across the floor over to the group. " **Inside that box are special glasses with reflective lenses. They will protect you from my power as I demonstrate it to you** ," Zero explained.

Ohgi cautiously knelt down in front of the box and looked up at Zero as he opened it before looking back down. Inside were at least eight glasses with dark reflective lenses on them. Ohgi slowly passed them around to the others before putting them on himself.

"Okay. So... I guess a demonstration of this power of yours wouldn't be too much to ask?" Ohgi asked Zero.

" **I'm waiting for Big Mouth to put his glasses on** ," Zero said, prompting everyone to turn and look at Tamaki.

"What!? I'll put these on when you can prove to me that everything you're saying is true! I want proof!" Tamaki spat with a scowl on his face.

Zero then sighed in annoyance at Tamaki's refusal to cooperate. " **You want proof? Well then, here it is** ," Zero said in response before a small slot opened up in his helmet, revealing a violet eye that began to glow red.

Kallen and the others noticed the glow emanating from the eye through their glasses, with Kallen having a vague feeling of de ja vu as she saw it. " **Now, I command you, Tamaki, to fold your arms and** _ **cluck like a chicken**_ **for the next sixty seconds!** " Zero ordered him.

Red rings appeared in Tamaki's eyes as he followed his instructions. Everyone else's jaws dropped as Tamaki did exactly as Zero had told him. "Bok! Bok! Bo~ok! Bo-bok!" Tamaki clucked repeatedly as he danced around with his arms folded to resemble wings.

Were the circumstances any different, everyone else would have been laughing their asses off at Tamaki's actions. As things were, however, Zero's ability to bend someone to his will by mere words alone had left them feeling anything but jovial. It was... _intimidating_.

Finally, Tamaki stopped making a bigger ass out of himself than usual and looked around in confusion. "Uh... what's everybody staring at me for?" he asked as he noticed how everyone was focused on him. "What? Is there something on me? Is it a spider? Is it a spider!? Is there a spider on me!?" Tamaki asked hysterically, before Ohgi walked over and slapped him in the face.

"Tamaki, clam down, shut the fuck up, and pay attention!" Ohgi said forcefully as he fixed him with a glare. Tamaki immediately did as instructed. "Oh, and put those damn glasses on! _Now_ , Tamaki!" Ohgi ordered him. Tamaki gulped and immediately put the glasses on his face.

" **So, did you enjoy my little demonstration?** " Zero asked them.

"What demonstration?" Tamaki asked in confusion, prompting Ohgi to shake his head in dismay.

" **For once, you'll have to forgive Big Mouth. You see, anyone under the influence of my power will have no memory of what they did in the duration that they are following my orders after it wears off** ," Zero explained.

"Uuuuh... guys? What's he talking about?" Tamaki asked his comrades, confused by Zero's words. "Seriously, what's going on here!?" Tamaki asked excitedly.

"Tamaki, shut the fuck up already!" Kallen snapped at the man.

" **Yes, or shall I prepare another demonstration?** " Zero added.

"For Tamaki's sake, just, [sigh], just go ahead and... do something," Ohgi said in frustration.

" **Well, I was under the impression that using your friend... eh, why not?** " Zero replied before raising both hands into the air and grabbing a small radio connected to the train's intercom system. " **Attention all passengers... Tic Tac Toe** ," Zero said.

All of the passengers immediately rose from their seats and began twirling around while staying in one place, their eyes blinking on occasion but retaining their faint red glows. As this bizarre dance continued, Zero moved his hands in a manner similar to a music conductor in front of an orchestra. To Kallen and the others, the sight was... _surreal_ , to say the least.

" **Oh, I forgot to hook up the music! I knew I was forgetting** _ **something**_ ," Zero lamented out loud with disappointment in his voice. Meanwhile, the surreal and bizarre dance of living puppets continued around him and the others.

"Okay. That's enough," Ohgi said. The bizarre trance dance continued. "I said that's enough!" Ohgi barked at Zero, causing the latter to stop his motions before grabbing the radio again.

" **Attention all passengers... Toe Tac Tic** ," Zero said, causing everyone to sit down. Their eyes remained red. Zero then focused his attention on Ohgi.

"Alright, I believe you. But... that doesn't mean we trust you," Ohgi said warily. "If you want us to trust you, then we need to know more about you. We need to see your face and know your real name. You've seen our faces, and you know our names. If you want us to work with you, then that means there needs to be a level of trust between us, and right now I don't see any trust, just power and intimidation," Ohgi said with a frown.

Inside the helmet, Lelouch frowned as he considered Ohgi's words. The man certainly had a point regarding the one-sidedness of his knowledge of their identities versus their knowledge of his identity, but could he trust them to keep his identity a secret if he were to reveal it? Clearly, Kallen hadn't told any of them about him, so he knew that he could trust her, at least for the time being. Ohgi seemed earnest, but Tamaki... oh, that big-mouth moron would probably flap his lips about him the moment he was out of sight. And Lelouch knew little to nothing about the other two that had shown up, other than their names and genders.

And yet, that still meant he knew more about them than they knew about him, which was exactly Ohgi's point. _I suppose... if I can determine how good they are at keeping a secret, I may reveal myself to them. However... what do I do about Big Mouth? I've already wasted my Geass on him to demonstrate its power to the others, so I can't use it on him again_ , Lelouch thought to himself. _Most of them don't seem all that willing to work with me either, but maybe I can use that to my advantage_ , Lelouch thought to himself.

" **Very well. How about this? If you work with me on the next mission together, and it is successful, I shall reveal myself to those who join me in that mission** ," Zero proposed. The others looked at each other, trading glances between themselves and Zero before huddling together to begin whispering to each other. When they were done, Ohgi stepped forward.

"Okay... I agree to these terms. But only if the next mission is a success," he said, reaching a hand out. Zero reached forward and grabbed Ohgi's hand to shake it. " **Very good. I look forward to working alongside you when the time comes to make my debut to the world** ," Zero said before pulling away from Ohgi.

"Alright, but how will we contact you?" Ohgi asked Zero.

" **Kallen will serve as a liaison for the time being. I have her phone number. She can contact you after I have contacted her** ," Zero said.

"Yeah, about _that_ ," Ohgi said. "How did you get her phone number in the first place? How did you even find out who she was?" Ohgi asked Zero.

" **Why, I used my Geass, of course** ," Zero said. Kallen raised an eyebrow. She could distinctly remember Lelouch telling her to give Milly her contact information when joining the Student Council. When had he used this power on her? She decided she would ask later, when she had returned home, just to be safe.

"Your... Ghee-auss?" Ohgi asked him in confusion.

" **That is the name of the power I just demonstrated scant minutes ago** ," Zero explained.

"When did you use it on Kallen?" Ohgi asked, causing Kallen's eyes to widen.

" **I found her shortly after the battle in Shinjuku was over** ," Zero said vaguely. Kallen looked at him quizzically but decided to hold her tongue for the time being. She would still call him later that night to find out the truth.

" **So, now that we have made our agreement, I believe it is time for us to part ways, at least until our next collaboration together. I will contact Kallen when I have found an appropriate time to make my debut to Britannia. In the meantime, I would advise the rest of you to lay low and restock your supplies. I have no doubt that you are low on essential equipment following the Battle of Shinjuku** ," Zero said.

Ohgi and the others reluctantly nodded their heads in affirmation. The train soon came to a stop and the doors opened. " **Until next time. Also, keep the glasses** ," Zero said as the others disembarked.

"What about these people?" Ohgi asked with concern as he looked at the Geassed passengers of the train.

" **Do not worry about the passengers. I will return them to normal before the end of the hour** ," Zero said as the others stood on an empty platform. After a few more minutes, the doors closed and the train began to move again, leaving the five resistance fighters scratching their heads in confusion and anxiety over their encounter with Zero.

* * *

 **The Matsumoto Ghetto, Area 11, Tuesday Evening, August 29, 2017 ATB**

The sun was just setting in the sky as the residents of the Matsumoto Ghetto noticed something unusual happening near the security checkpoints. Small children stood in the streets and watched as a vehicle convoy began to pass through the primary checkpoint, with Britannian Police transports and other vehicles slowly pushing onward through the streets, forcing the children to clamber onto the sidewalks to stay out of the way. This was an unusual sight for many of the younger residents, as the police usually stayed out of the ghetto.

In fact, most Britannians refused to set foot in the ghettos unless they were tracking specific individuals or they were chasing criminals who were trying to hide in the ghetto itself. This was different, however, as there appeared to be Special Operative Action Police, or SOAP, officers in the vehicles. As the name implied, SOAP was a special unit that "cleaned" the streets of Britannia and its colonized Areas.

To some residents of the ghetto, that meant there was either a drug bust or someone had found a resistance hideout. This also meant that there was going to be significant damage to any buildings and bystanders nearby when the SOAP sprang into action after they reached their target. Parents quickly gathered their children and forced them inside their homes, keeping the doors unlocked to show cooperation if the SOAP were to even consider approaching them. The SOAP would just use a locked door as an excuse to break into the premises and wreck the place in search of whatever it was they claimed to be looking for.

As the convoy moved forward, with a small handful of helicopters providing air support, the police eventually arrived at a rundown apartment complex, where at least one legitimate report of Refrain distribution had originated. Once the vehicles had parked themselves in front of the apartment complex, they SOAP officers disembarked and barged into the building with no warning, breaking the front doors. The sound of hard boots tapping on the floors echoed through the hallways and lobby of the building as the SOAP officers began their raid.

The officers marched through hallways covered with peeling paint, with some sections exposing bare drywall and electrical wires. There was a smell of urban decay throughout the building, adding the contempt that the Britannian officers felt toward the Elevens who resided here. The squads quickly moved throughout the building, forcing everyone they found to spread against the walls as they swept the building and broke into every single apartment they came across.

Furniture was overturned, appliances were broken, and no one was spared a violent and aggressive arrest, with guns pointed at them to make things clear, and some residents being tossed around and having limbs twisted before being grabbed and held to the floors of their dilapidated homes, save for an infants sleeping in their beds. But the police made sure to yell obscenities at the children so that they wouldn't feel left out as their parents and everyone else were pushed against walls and handcuffed against their will before being led out into the streets and loaded into SOAP vans.

The same process was repeated at a series of warehouses nearby where several false reports had originated due to their proximity to the real one. By the time night had fallen, over 200 Elevens had been rounded up and taken through the security checkpoint into the Concession, where they found themselves shoved into overcrowded jail cells as they wondered what was going on. No answers were given to them, and anyone who protested their treatment was given a violent punishment to serve as an example to the others who had been arrested.

* * *

 **The Viceroy's Palace, Tokyo Concession, Area 11, Monday, September 11, 2017 ATB**

Outside in the front garden's of the Viceroy's Palace, hundreds of Britannian Military officers had gathered, along with dozens or reporters and journalists with cameras surrounding the closed casket that held the corpse of Bartley Asprius. Clovis was standing behind a podium that overlooked the casket as the funeral began. He had memorized his speech after making numerous re-writes the previous night. He now felt confident in himself and what he was about to say.

After all, spewing bullshit in front of cameras was a time-honored family tradition.

"Ahem," Clovis said into the multiple microphones lined up in front of him. It was a rather bright and sunny day, and Clovis had elected to wear some sunglasses to make things easier for himself. "I know that it isn't easy to say goodbye to a friend," he began. "I know how difficult it is to say goodbye to family, but sometimes it's even worse when you never get to say goodbye at all before they are taken from you."

Several members of the press solemnly nodded their heads in agreement, though whether their feelings were genuined or just for show was unknown.

"General Bartley Asprius was more than just a General. He was a friend and confidant. He inspired confidence in those who served him, and he fought for the ideals of Britannia with all of his strength," Clovis continued, his gloved hands clenched into fists.

"He was a brother in arms! His death will not go unpunished, and those savages responsible for his violent and horrific end will find themselves facing justice in due time!" Clovis continued in a dramatic fashion. The reporters and journalists kept eating it up, save for one Diethard Ried, who as able to see through the act. Despite this, Diethard made sure to keep his mouth shut as he held a notepad and an audio recorder in his hands, silently wishing he were anywhere else at that moment.

* * *

 **Ashford Academy, Wednesday Afternoon, September 13, 2017 ATB**

Leaning back in his chair, Lelouch sighed before looking around to make sure that the door to his bedroom was locked. C.C. was on the bed with some kind of weird plush toy that she had gotten over the weekend while eating some pizza. She had remembered to bring some paper plates and napkins with her this time, much to Lelouch's satisfaction. He then turned on his laptop and entered his login password before accessing a special folder and changing the properties of it to show the hidden items held within. He then set about opening up an internet connection and made sure to use the special router he had recently acquired before changing his internet settings to use a proxy server.

Using the access codes from Bartley, Lelouch began his task of accessing the Britannian government network for Area 11. Opening up a packet sniffing program, he set about collecting data and network traffic for anything noteworthy, before accessing an e-mail server for the main government borough workers. Everything his software looked at turned out to be rather dull, at least until he came across an e-mail from the Tokyo Settlement Chief of Police designated for Margrave Jeremiah Gottwald.

"Well now, just what do we have here?" Lelouch asked himself softly as he read the contents of the e-mail. It was a report on a series of drug raids that had been conducted over the past few weeks throughout the Matsumoto ghettos, the Saitama ghettos, and the various Osaka ghettos. Nearly seven hundred people had been arrested, with almost eighty of them dying while in custody, according to the report.

Something about this seemed strange to Lelouch. Why would the police be reporting to the leader of the Purebloods about their drug raids? Also strange, why would the police in the other settlements be reporting this to the police in _Tokyo?_ Why wouldn't this report be sent straight to the Viceroy? For that matter, why were the Purebloods involved? They were a faction within the Britannian _military_ , not the police, at least as far as Lelouch was aware.

 _Although, Jeremiah Gottwald sounds familiar to me. I know I've heard that name before somewhere_ , Lelouch thought to himself as he accessed more e-mails. He soon found a series of e-mails sent back and forth between the police, the Purebloods, and the Viceroy regarding the raids. He also noticed that every e-mail mentioned that nearby warehouses had been searched during each raid, with varying distances between the warehouses and the primary raid locations, some of which weren't even within the same neighborhood as each other.

 _Why do they keep mentioning warehouses? What's so important about searching the warehouses?_ Soon, it became clear to Lelouch that these raids held a far greater importance to the Viceroy and Purebloods than just cleaning up the streets. _Warehouses can certainly hold drugs in them, but for the police to go out of their way to search warehouses that aren't even within easy walking distance of their primary targets, especially in the ghettos, makes no sense,_ Lelouch thought to himself.

 _Unless... the warehouses are the real targets. But then, why not target the warehouses in the first place? What are they looking for that they're playing this game of... covering... their... intentions? Wait a minute_... Lelouch thought to himself as the pieces began falling into place.

"They're searching for terrorist cells and stolen Knightmare Frames," Lelouch said to himself in realization. _Clever bastards_ , he thought with a smirk. Lelouch quickly began sifting through e-mail after e-mail in his attempts to find a pattern that would point to the time and location of the next raid. He spent over an hour piecing together the puzzle, before he realized that the raids were eventually going to make their way back to Shinjuku.

Looking at the time between each raid, Lelouch could find no discernible pattern, meaning that while the locations were chosen in advance, the dates were apparently being selected at random. Thus, he would have to search the newest e-mails again to see if his hypothesis regarding Shinjuku was correct or not. And hour later, a new e-mail had passed through the server, and Lelouch soon found his answer.

The next location... was Shinjuku. _Back to the starting point, eh? Well then, let us return to the horse we rode in on_ , Lelouch thought to himself as he slowly turned around to see C.C. sleeping on his bed. _Yeah... I'm gonna need to introduce her to Ohgi's cell at some point_ , Lelouch briefly thought to himself, before he returned his attention the laptop and opened a new tab on his web browser to look up a map of Shinjuku through the Aleph Search Engine*.

* * *

 **Kaname Ohgi's Apartment, One of the Ghettos, Sunday Afternoon, September 17 ATB**

Sitting in a stool by his kitchen table, Kaname Ohgi listened as Kallen explained Zero's plan to him. Sitting on a stool nearby was Inoue, while Tamaki and Yoshida were both standing, leaning back against the walls of the small kitchen. After Kallen was finished speaking, Ohgi blinked in surprise.

"Okay... that's completely insane," Ohgi said calmly. "Then again, the man has mind control powers and runs around in a damn superhero costume, so why should I be surprised at all?" he then asked rhetorically. Tamaki nodded his head in agreement.

"But even if his plan is crazy, he still has a point about the raids that have been conducted," Kallen pointed out. Inoue nodded her head in agreement, as did Yoshida. Ohgi placed his hand under his chin and rubbed it in contemplation.

"Well, you've got a point there," Ohgi said, nodding his head. "But... I don't think we can risk using a Knightmare Frame for this operation," he added, shaking his head. "I mean, once we take them out in the open, that's it. And we still haven't fully resupplied ourselves after the Battle last month," Ohgi continued.

"We lost more than half of our team, and most of our equipment. All we've got are some pistols, SMG's, and those Sutherlands, but we don't have any spare ammo for their guns," Ohgi said. "The energy fillers are pretty much the same, but that's the only thing we can reasonably find on the black market, although I'm pretty sure the Sutherlands can use any weapon a Glasgow could handle. Even so, we're not using stolen Knight Pistols anymore," Ohgi continued.

"If we try getting our hands on the ammo needed for those Knight Rifles... that's gonna raise a lot of questions, and with the raids that have been going on lately, I don't know if we can afford to take the risk of the Britannians finding out if they raid the places where we do our business," he finished. "I don't think we can do what Zero needs us to do," he concluded.

"So... what then? We just leave him to go at the Britannians alone?" Kallen asked Ohgi.

"No, but... Kallen, can you call Zero on his phone and talk to him?" Ohgi asked her.

"I'll try," Kallen replied as she took out her phone and dialed Lelouch's cell phone, or at least the secondary disposable phone that he had purchased for his new mission. The phone rang three times before a click was heard on the other end. She had discovered his use of another phone the previous week when she had called him following the demonstration on the train cars to ask him about his use of Geass on her. After confirming that he had indeed used his Geass on her at school to determine that she was the pilot of the red Glasgow in Shinjuku, Lelouch had been forced to tell Kallen the truth about how he known to go after her in the first place. She had almost forgotten about her and Nagata almost running over a motorcycle on the wrong side of the road the day of the Shinjuku Massacre. However, the revelation that the gas canister had held a living human test subject was something that Kallen had found bewildering and sickening, although Lelouch had promised to explain things properly when the time was right. Whenever that would be, however, Kallen had no idea.

" _Hello?_ " Lelouch asked. "Hey, Zero? This is Kallen," Kallen said.

" _Ah, Q-One. To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?_ " Lelouch asked her.

"Um... I've explained the plan to everyone, bu~ut... there's a problem," Kallen said. " _I'm listening_ ," Lelouch replied. "Well... we don't have the supplies that you requested. We can't get a hold of them quickly enough to get ready for this weekend," she said.

" _That's fine. I think my initial plan may have been overkill anyway_ ," Lelouch replied.

"Hey, Kallen? Can I speak with him?" Ohgi asked. Kallen looked at Ohgi with wide eyes.

"Hold on, Zero? Ohgi wants to speak with you," Kallen said. She had made sure to list Lelouch's secondary phone as K-1 to hide his identity. " _I see. Very well, give him the phone_ ," Lelouch said, prompting Kallen to nod her head and hand her cell phone over to Ohgi.

"Hey, Zero, I'd like to ask you a few things," Ohgi said as he held the phone up to his ears. " _By all means, ask away_ ," Lelouch replied.

"Look, are you positive that the Britannian's are going to be conducting a raid in Shinjuku this coming Saturday?" Ohgi asked him.

" _I'm positive. The e-mails I've intercepted between the Viceroy and the Purebloods confirm that they will be conducting a raid near the old shopping areas where the storage warehouses are located. They're searching for the stolen Sutherlands, and since they expect them to most likely still be somewhere in Shinjuku, they're planning to send in Knight Police as well, piloted by their own Pureblood officers_ ," Lelouch replied.

"Seriously? Do they have warrants for that kind of thing?" Ohgi asked nervously.

" _Warrants? Sure, they've got warrants. They're bullshit warrants, but even so I doubt anyone would care about the legality of them anyway, especially not with the raids being conducted in the ghettos of all places_ ," Lelouch replied.

"So... since we can't really use the Sutherlands to beat them back, do you have another plan?" Ohgi asked him. " _Do I have another plan? I'm forming it as we speak. In fact... I think I'm already finished drafting it. Wanna hear what it is?_ " Lelouch asked him in response.

Ohgi gulped as he heard the mischievous tone to Zero's voice. "Sure. Let's hear it," Ohgi said with a worried expression on his face. As Zero explained his new plan to him, his jaws dropped and his eyes widened at the sheer audacity of what Zero was planning.

"You've got to be kidding," Ohgi said once Zero was finished outlaying his new plan. " _Nope! I'm pretty sure you can get this taken care of before the weekend. Call me Friday evening after you have everything prepared. Zero out_ ," Zero said before hanging up. Ohgi then gave the phone to Kallen and began telling the others about Zero's new plan.

* * *

 **The Shinjuku Ghetto, Saturday Evening, September 23, 2017 ATB**

Sitting in the cockpit of a Police Glasgow, Jeremiah Gottwald frowned as he and the other Knight Police began moving through the checkpoint to enter the Shinjuku Ghetto. They were heading to the Nishi-Shinjuku district, which had remained mostly untouched during the battle in August, although one wouldn't be able to tell due to most of its structures not having been fixed up since the Invasion had ended. Due to the shift in economy and the construction of the Tokyo Concession as the new economic hub for the region, the few surviving skyscrapers in the district had been converted into housing units for the residing Elevens in the ghetto.

Behind his Glasgow were five other such machines, each manned by Purebloods, including Villetta Nu, Kewell Soresi, James Machlin, Tyler Eckhardt, and Thomas Palmer. Machlin, Eckhardt, and Palmer were skilled Knights and could easily hold their own in an outdated Glasgow, so Jeremiah didn't worry too much about them. Still, the Knight Police were stripped down from the military units they had originally been. The Pureblood Knights would have to keep that fact in mind if they encountered trouble.

Jeremiah had initially given the planning of the Shinjuku raid to Kewell, but he had quickly realized that Kewell was a bit more zealous than he had anticipated. The man had wanted Sutherlands to be brought in along with the police, since the terrorists had most definitely caught on to their ploy by now. Kewell's point certainly had merit, but Jeremiah had also considered it to be overkill. Instead, he'd decided that using Knight Police was more appropriate, since the police were supposed to be the ones conducting the raid.

Kewell had been reluctant at first, but eventually he had given in, although only on the condition that he and other Purebloods be the ones to pilot the Knight Police. Jeremiah had then been forced to pull some strings with the police to make this happen, until Clovis simply handed over a short letter telling the police to let the Purebloods do as they wished. Personally, Jeremiah didn't want any Knightmares to be used at all, since doing so would only ensure that the terrorists would fight back with the stolen Sutherlands in his mind.

Checking the Factsphere monitor one more time, Jeremiah sighed as the convoy passed through the streets of the ghetto. They would be approaching the target area soon enough, and then the SOAP officers would be set loose onto the streets. At least with him there, he could control their actions a little bit so that the officers didn't destroy everything in sight.

Still, as the minutes passed by, Jeremiah found himself checking his Factsphere monitor once again for signs of trouble. The streets were empty, and most of the residents were hiding in their homes, or what was left of their homes anyway. Jeremiah sighed in boredom. Nothing had been found in any of the previous raids, save for some actual containers of Refrain that had been subsequently confiscated by the police, and a handful of small arms dealers who were not involved with the terrorist cells throughout the ghettos, instead preferring to do business with the remnants of various gangs.

Eventually, the convoy reached the Nishi-Shinjuku district, and the SOAP officers were soon deployed from their vans to begin the operation. Using the Factsphere sensor, Jeremiah watched as the officers leapt into action. Dozens of armored men and women burst into apartments and began arresting everyone in sight. No shots had been fired as of yet, although there were certainly screams from terrified residents as the SOAP officers apprehended them.

Chairs were broken and tables were thrown aside in the various rooms of the buildings. Men and women were forcefully woken from their slumber and young children were scared out of their minds. Fornicating couples, sex workers and clients, and even common thieves were all rudely interrupted in the middle of their activities by the SOAP officers. People were held down to ground, thrown against walls, and forcibly restrained as the officers trashed and wrecked the rooms they were in, destroying furniture and personal possessions with no rhyme or reason.

Several minutes passed by as the raid continued, until something showed up on the Factsphere monitor. Raising an eyebrow, Jeremiah opened a com channel to contact the others. "Nu, Soresi, Machlin, Palmer, Eckhardt, check your Factsphere monitors. We've got someone moving toward us," Jeremiah said as he saw the image of a van approaching the raid location.

"Who the hell would deliberately drive toward a police raid?" Jeremiah asked himself curiously. The van didn't appear to be a news van, and they hadn't brought any news teams with them for this particular raid, so who the hell was this? It couldn't have been the terrorists, Jeremiah was certain. The terrorists would have used the Sutherlands to approach them in an effort at intimidation. _Maybe someone took a wrong turn_ , Jeremiah thought to himself as the innocuous-looking van became clearer on the Factsphere monitor, until he noticed the large box on the top of it.

It was a large party box, with magnetic clamps that could be engaged and disengaged at will via remote. At that moment, Jeremiah remembered Clovis's words about the poison gas canister still being lost, and he inhaled with a gulp. "All units, this is Margrave Jeremiah Gottwald. We have an incoming vehicle of unknown origin. Stand by for further orders," Jeremiah said over the com and radio before he opened the back of his cockpit to sit up as the street lights illuminated the van.

Inside the van, Kallen slowly lifted her foot off of the gas pedal as they approached the Britannian SOAP convoy. She could see dozens of Japanese civilians being led out of the various buildings in various states of undress. Men, women, children, and elderly alike were all being forced to line up against walls with their hands cuffed behind their backs. In the passenger seat, Ohgi held the remote for the party box in his hands, his eyes narrowing as he saw the SOAP officers arresting everyone.

"Well, maybe the others were right to not join us this time," Ohgi said as he saw nearly two dozen SOAP officers take positions near their vans with carbines aimed at their van. "Kallen, how far away did he say we could be?" Ohgi asked the redhead.

"At least two hundred and sixty-seven meters, but we gotta be closer for this to work. They have to see what we're carrying on top of the van for Zero to pull this off," Kallen said. Ohgi glanced down at the MP5 that laid on the floor by his feet, hoping that he wouldn't need to use it. He and Kallen were both wearing handkerchiefs to cover their faces, along with some face paint and wigs, but thankfully the van had a tinted windshield.

However, spotlights were soon being shone on their vehicle, and Kallen brought the van to a halt. "Here it is. Miracle time," Kallen said shakily. "I hope this works," she added before picking up her phone. "Zero... we've arrived," Kallen said after hearing him pickup.

" _Good. Now let me show you a miracle_ ," Lelouch said before hanging up. Kallen pocket the phone in her outfit as she waited.

Picking up a megaphone, Jeremiah Gottwald held out a hand. " _ **You there! Identify yourselves! This is a police raid! Step out of the vehicle and identify yourselves at once!**_ " Jeremiah ordered firmly.

Soon, the box on the top of the van opened as the clamps disengaged, revealing a humanoid figure and a large cylindrical object covered by a tarp. A small megaphone rested in the figure's hands. The figure was wearing a strange dark blue outfit with a black cape and a black and blue-tinted helmet, obscuring their features.

The costumed figure soon opened their cape in a grand gesture, before raising the megaphone to speak through it. " **Attention, Britannian police and Purebloods accompanying them!** " the figure shouted through the megaphone. " **I know the truth behind your illegal raids and detainment of innocent Japanese civilians!** "

Jeremiah scowled at the masked man. " _ **Look, whoever you are, this is a legally sanctioned police operation, given permission by Viceroy Prince Clovis himself!**_ " Jeremiah shouted in return. " _ **Identify yourself at once and if you are cooperative, we may show you leniency**_ ," Jeremiah added.

" **Heh-heh. Leniency? Please, spare me your hollow words! I know that you seek the hands which took the life of General Bartley Asprius and his command staff. You need look no further, Margrave Gottwald, for those hands belong to me!** " the masked figure shouted, using his free hand to point at himself.

" _ **You're the one who killed General Bartley?**_ " Jeremiah asked incredulously as he looked at the masked lunatic on the top of the van.

" **Indeed! You must let those innocent people go, for the culprit you seek stands before you on this van! I am General Bartley's killer! I am the man who turned the tide at Shinjuku! I... am** _ **ZERO!**_ "

* * *

 **ENDING THEME:** _ **A Kind Of Magic**_ **, by Queen**

* * *

 **PREVIEW OF NEXT TIME**

On the next chapter of _Two Steps Forward, One Step Backward_ , Zero, Kallen, and Ohgi engage a standoff with the Purebloods in Shinjuku, with Zero deciding whether or not to use "Orange" to achieve victory.

* * *

Author's Notes: And that was the fourth chapter! Zero has made his big debut, and things are finally rolling! The next chapter will pick up where this one left off, and then Clovis's budding competence will begin developing from there as he starts trying to deal with Zero.

And now you all know the connection between Jeremiah, Marianne, and Nunnally... if you were paying attention while reading.

On another note, I _was_ originally intending to go ahead with the Suzaku being framed for Clovis's murder when I first typed up my rough outline for this story. See, things would have played out largely the same as in canon, but Jeremiah would secretly inform Suzaku that evidence proving his innocence would be shown during his court martial, as a way of making Jeremiah more empathetic and sympathetic. Then I realized how stupid and convoluted the whole thing would have been and I decided to scrap those plans and do something different, which is why Clovis is still alive and the whole scapegoat situation has been avoided.

I also avoided the scapegoat situation because it would completely destroy Suzaku's character from that point on if he stayed with the Britannian military as I had planned. Essentially, Suzaku's actions at the end of canon Episode 04 are what prove him to be a complete idiot and possibly the dumbest character in the entire series. Sense of duty or not, Suzaku would have every right to turn his back on Britannia after what they tried to do to him in that episode.

In this story, however, Suzaku remains in the military without being an idiot because I avoided this scenario. Also... even though I plan on pairing him with Euphemia at some point, I don't plan on having him and Euphemia develop any kind of meaningful relationship until _after_ the Battle of Narita. Before that happens, I actually have another pairing in mind for Suzaku, one that is very rarely seen in the Code Geass fandom.

No, it isn't Suzaku X Nina. Nina has eyes only for Table-Kun.

*In mathematics, and in particular set theory, the aleph numbers are a sequence of numbers used to represent the cardinality (or size) of infinite sets that can be well-ordered. I have taken this information from Wikipedia, because if there is one thing that actually be trusted on Wikipedia, it's the math section. This is a reference to how Google was named after the googol number. Basically, in this retelling of Code Geass, Aleph takes the place of Google, although there are very few differences other than the name and the style of marketing that's used.

I, Anguirus1955, command you to tell me what you think of the chapter and/or story so far in your reviews!

* * *

 **Special Fun Time Bonus Segment**

Picking up a megaphone, Jeremiah Gottwald held out a hand. " _ **You there! Identify yourselves! This is a police raid! Step out of the vehicle and identify yourselves at once!**_ " Jeremiah ordered firmly.

Soon, the box on the top of the van opened as the clamps disengaged, revealing a humanoid figure and a large cylindrical object... which looked just like the stolen gas canister. A small megaphone rested in the figure's hands. The figure was wearing a strange dark blue outfit with a black cape and a black and blue-tinted helmet, obscuring their features.

The costumed figure soon opened their cape in a grand gesture, before raising the megaphone to speak through it. " **Attention, Britannian police and Purebloods accompanying them!** " the figure shouted through the megaphone. " **I know the truth behind your illegal raids and detainment of innocent prostitutes and pole dancers!** "

Jeremiah scowled at the masked man. " _ **Look, whoever you are, this is a legally sanctioned police operation, given permission by Viceroy Prince Clovis himself!**_ " Jeremiah shouted in return. " _ **Identify yourself at once and if you are cooperative, we may show you leniency**_ ," Jeremiah added.

" **I know that you seek the hands which took the Wheaties of General Bartley Asprius and his command staff. You need look no further, Margrave Gottwald, for those hands belong to me!** " the masked figure shouted, using his free hand to point at himself.

" _ **You're the one who killed General Bartley?**_ " Jeremiah asked incredulously as he looked at the masked lunatic on the top of the van.

" **Indeed! You must let those innocent low-lifes go, for the culprit you seek stands before you on this van! I am the mashed potatoes to your steak! I am the terror that flaps in the night! I am vengeance! I am the night! I... am** _ **Vash The Stampede!**_ "


	5. Trust Goes Both Ways

**CODE GEASS: Two Steps Forward, One Step Backward**

By Anguirus1955

Disclaimer: Code Geass is the intellectual property of Studio Sunrise.

And here is the conclusion of Zero's debut!

Also, if you didn't figure it out already about Jeremiah, Marianne, and Nunnally... I'll confirm everyone's suspicions in the author's notes at the end of the chapter, even thought I think I've made it pretty obvious what the connection is. _Hint:_ Jeremiah is Nunnally's son from the future!

Just kidding. He's not her son.

Also, to address the issue of characters' ages, here are the following changes made from Canon.

Jeremiah Gottwald: Age 42 at start of story.

Marianne vi Britannia: Died at age 35.

Villetta Nu: Age 34 at start of story.

Kaname Ohgi: Age 31 at start of story.

Kaguya Sumeragi: Age 16 at start of story.

Euphemia li Britannia: Age 19 at start of story.

Gino Weinberg: Age 21 at start of story (He'll get introduced a few chapters after Narita, so... about 17 chapters to go before then)

All other characters remain their canon ages.

Also, to address the issue of certain events, here is a list of dates changed from canon.

Marianne's Assassination: Occurs in 2008 instead of 2010, to allow Lelouch and Nunnally to be in Japan for 2 years prior to the invasion.

 **UPDATE AS OF 10/12/2018** : I have added a few more details to Jeremiah's interrogation and an additional sequence involving Clovis making a video call to the Emperor.

As with all stories that I write, I listen to music while writing to help myself get into a groove or to help myself capture certain feelings while writing. It can help inspire me sometimes. Music that I listened to while writing this chapter include _Code Geass OST_ 1 - 2 (2006 - 2007) by Kotaro Nakagawa, _Batman_ (1989) by Danny Elfman, _Halo 2 OST Volumes 1 - 2_ (2004) by Martin O'Donnell & Michael Salvatori, and _Halo 2 Anniversary Original Soundtrack_ (2014) by Martin O'Donnell & Michael Salvatori with new recordings by Skywalker Sound.

Please note that listening to this music while reading the story is _**not**_ a requirement. I simply provide this as a little something extra to help enhance the reading experience, if you the readers so wish to do so. Most of this music can be found and heard on YouTube or any number of anime soundtrack websites.

Sudden and Suspicious Disclaimer: I also advocate the purchasing and obtaining of official soundtracks through legal means.

Music From _Code Geass OST 1 - 2_ (2006 - 2007): _Zero_ , _Strange Girl_ , _Cold Nobility_ , _Invisible Sound_ , _Outside Road_ , _Devil Created_ , _First Signature_ , _In Justice_ , _Nightmare_ , _Air Surfing_ , _Brain Game_ , _Elegant Force_ , _Last Adolescence_ , _Boyhood_ , _With You_ ,

Music From _Halo 2 OST 1 - 2_ (2004): _In Amber Clad_ , _Peril_ , _High Charity_ , _Orbit Of Glass_ , _Heavy Price Paid_ ,

Music From _Halo 2 Anniversary OST_ (2014): _Not A Number_ , _Africa Suite_ , _Jeopardy_ , _Trapped In Amber_ , _Skyline_ , _Promise The Girl_ , _Second Prelude_ , _Unforgotten Memories_ , _Punishment_ ,

Music From _Ba_ _tm_ _an_ (1989): _Childhood Remembered_ , _Roasted Dude_ , _Flowers_ ,

 **Track Order Listing - All After Opening Theme And Before Ending Theme**

 **01**. _In Amber Clad_ (Stand off), **02**. _Zero_ (Jeremiah's orders), **03**. _Promise The Girl_ (Safe parking), **04**. _Unforgotten Memories_ (Zero's identity), **05**. _Pessimistic Time_ (Jeremiah's interrogation), **06**. _Second Prelude_ (Jeremiah's resignation), **07**. _Heavy Price Paid_ (Villetta's concern/Jeremiah's new office).

 **Music After Ending Theme**

 **08**. _Not A Number_.

* * *

 **OPENING THEME:** _ **Princes Of The Universe**_ **(by Queen)**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 05: Trust Goes Both Ways**

* * *

 **The Shinjuku Ghetto, Saturday Evening, September 23, 2017 ATB**

Jeremiah Gottwald stared in disbelief at the masked figure standing on the van in front of him. "Zero? What kind of name is _that?_ " he asked rhetorically. He held up his megaphone again. " _ **Okay, Zero. If you are truly guilty of murdering General Bartley Asprius, then come forward at once and surrender!**_ " Jeremiah shouted, hoping to get the night over and done with as soon as possible.

" **Surrender? I think not** ," Zero replied, the red interior of his cape visible as he shifted about on the van. There was an air of confidence about about the caped man that seemed unnatural given the circumstances. He was outnumbered and outgunned.

Jeremiah narrowed his eyes at the masked lunatic. He glanced around at the other Knight Police that his fellow Purebloods were piloting. Kewell was already preparing to take aim, as were Machlin and Palmer.

" _ **I will give you one more chance**_ ," Jeremiah shouted into his megaphone. " _ **Surrender now or we will use force!**_ " Jeremiah then raised a hand to prepare to signal the others, only for Zero to let out a mirthless chuckle over his own megaphone.

" **Are you** _ **sure**_ **you want to use force?** " Zero asked before he used his free hand to grab the tarp and pull it down, revealing a large cylindrical canister. Jeremiah's eyes widened as he recognized the canister from the briefing he'd received during the battle in the ghetto the previous month.

 _Is... is that... the gas canister!? That son of a bitch_ , Jeremiah thought angrily. _If we fire... we might risk hitting the canister and letting out the gas! If we take him down... we go down as well!_

" **Now then, let's negotiate, shall we?** " Zero asked with confidence in his voice. " **I want you to let those people go and cease these illegal pogroms at once! Leave the ghetto within the next five minutes, Margrave Gottwald** ," Zero demanded.

Jeremiah looked around at the SOAP officers who were aiming their carbines at Zero and the van, none of them having the slightest clue as to the danger they were in. If any of them were to open fire, they would risk puncturing the gas canister. This "Zero" person was effectively holding everyone hostage, and they had no clue.

" **Of course, if you aren't willing to cooperate, then maybe I'll just tell everyone here about...** _ **Orange**_ ," Zero taunted.

Jeremiah raised an eyebrow in confusion. _Orange? What the hell is Orange? Is that the name of the poison gas?_ Jeremiah noticed Villetta looking at him from the open cockpit of her Glasgow in confusion.

"Gottwald, what's he talking about!?" Villetta asked him in confusion. Some of the SOAP officers looked up at him in confusion as well.

"I don't know!" Jeremiah replied before returning his attention to Zero.

Inside the van, Kallen and Ohgi looked at each other in confusion. "What the hell is Orange?" Ohgi asked Kallen.

"I have no idea," Kallen replied with a shrug of her shoulders before returning her focus to the Britannian forces ahead of them.

" **Come on, Lord Jeremiah. You and I both know what is held in this canister, or... do you? Maybe I should reveal the secret of Orange to everybody if you're truly willing to test me** ," Zero taunted over his megaphone, before he reached into his jacket and produced what appeared to be a remote control of some kind, causing Jeremiah's eyes to widen. Zero held the remote up to his helmet, ensuring that Jeremiah would be looking him in the eyes.

With Jeremiah looking straight ahead at him, Zero opened a slot in his mask and allowed a red bird to fly out at Jeremiah's eyes. He lowered his megaphone slightly. " **You will release these civilians and order your forces to return to the concession while letting us go. You will ensure that you and your forces return to the Concession by any means necessary** ," Zero ordered.

Jeremiah's eyes glowed a faint red color as he saluted before pulling up his megaphone. " _ **All units, release the Elevens and prepare to leave. We are returning to the Concession!**_ " Jeremiah barked over his megaphone.

" _WHAT!?_ " Kewell Soresi barked over his headset. " _Lord Jeremiah, have you lost your mind!? These terrorists are responsible for killing General Bartley! We can't just let them go!_ " Kewell ranted.

"You heard my orders, Kewell. Now, follow them," Jeremiah said, his eyes still red. Kewell raised his Glasgow's assault rifle to aim it at the van, prompting Jeremiah to use his Glasgow's slash harkens to attack his fellow Pureblood. The metal prongs slammed into the rifle and arms of the Knight Police with precision as Jeremiah followed his instructions.

" _Lord Jeremiah!? What are you doing!?_ " Villetta shrieked over the com, shocked by her superior's abrupt change in behavior.

"That canister has the gas in it! We cannot risk damaging it!" Jeremiah responded into the com, his eyes still red. They would remain that way until he and the others had returned to the Concession, and not a moment sooner.

" _ **All units, release the Elevens and mount up! We are returning to the Concession! Anyone who disobeys this order will be severely reprimanded!**_ " Jeremiah shouted over his Glasgow's speaker system and coms, swinging the machine around to aim its weapons at his own forces.

" _ **Do it now! That's an order!**_ " Jeremiah shouted again over the speakers and com systems of his Glasgow. His patience was starting to wear thin.

James Machlin turned his Glasgow to aim it at Jeremiah, but Jeremiah was faster and quickly opened fire at Machlin's rifle, damaging the barrel and the hands of the older machine. As soon as Machlin was down, Palmer made an attempt as well, only to suffer the same fate as Machlin. " _ **Anybody else wish to challenge my authority!? Now, follow my orders!**_ " Jeremiah shouted once more. The other Britannians quickly began uncuffing the Japanese civilians and letting them run back into their homes.

Inside the cabin of the van, Kallen and Ohgi both glanced at each other in bewilderment before gazing back out at the sight of the Britannians being threatened by their own leader. "We should've brought the others to see this," Ohgi said, his jaw hanging open in disbelief at what he was witnessing.

"Y-Yeah," Kallen stuttered in agreement, dumbfounded by the sight before her.

Meanwhile, still standing on the top of the van, Lelouch smirked behind his helmet. _And I didn't have to fire a single bullet of my own_ , he thought to himself as he watched the spectacle unfold before him. _This is beautiful_.

Zero continued standing on the van and watched as the Britannian forces began to pack up and leave. The whole sight filled him with confidence. He had stood against the Britannian military without a single weapon in his hand. Even the remote control in his hand was simply an old TV remote with black tape over most of the buttons to conceal its original nature.

He then hopped down from the roof of the van and made his way over to the passenger side door before opening it and climbing inside next to Ohgi. " **Okay, let's get out of here** ," Zero said. Kallen and Ohgi both looked at him in astonishment. " **What? Come on, there's always a chance that one or two of those Britannians might stray from the others when they get out of Jeremiah's sight. Let's get moving** ," Zero said sternly as he put on a seat belt.

Kallen nodded her head and began to back the van up several dozen meters before making a K-turn and driving away, taking a right at an intersection before turning down an alley to disappear from the main roads. The ride through the ghetto was mostly silent as Kallen slowly drove through the narrow roads between buildings. Eventually, Kallen found the warehouse that one of the Sutherlands had been stashed in and parked the van inside.

The interior of the warehouse was spacious enough, and the amount of debris still lying on the roof gave the impression to passer-bys that the building was damaged. Inside, a Sutherland was covered up by a tarp with various metal pipes and crates lying against it to provide cover. An old forklift nearby was also partially covered by a tarp, creating the illusion that the Sutherland was also just another unused and run-down vehicle underneath its own tarp.

As Kallen slowly brought the van to a halt, everybody let out sighs of relief. "That... that was unbelievable," Ohgi said. "Zero... you actually did it. You made them turn around without even once firing a gun at them," he added with awe in his voice.

" **I told you I could do it** ," Zero replied smugly. " **It's a shame the others had refused to come along. I'm sure they would loved to see the what we did** ," he added as he unbuckled his seat belt and opened the door to get out. As soon as Kallen pulled the key out of the ignition, she nodded at Ohgi and quickly got out of the van to march over to Zero as he stepped aside for Ohgi.

"Okay, a deal's a deal, Zero," Ohgi said as he straightened himself out. He and Kallen both stood around Zero, blocking any potential escape routes for him. "We came along with you. The mission was a success. Now... it's time for you to tell us who you really are," Ohgi said, seeing Zero tense up at the demand.

Ohgi then let out a sigh. "Look, Zero, after what you did tonight, I'm willing to work with you, and give this partnership a chance. But the others... they don't. Because they don't _trust you_ ," Ohgi explained. "Now, look, they _do_ trust _me_. If I trust you then they'll be willing to put trust in you as well, but that trust needs to have a solid foundation," he added, his early years as a teacher having given him experience with how to get people to see different points of view.

" **I see** ," Zero said reluctantly. Inside his helmet, Lelouch grimaced. He had hoped that perhaps the adrenaline of the night's events would have caused Ohgi and Kallen to forget about the deal he'd made, but they had better memories than he had expected.

"Look, you know our names and our faces, and that means you hold an advantage over us. Trust is a two way street, Zero. If you want us to trust _you_ , then you need to be willing to trust _us_ ," Ohgi continued. "Kallen and I willingly put our lives in your hands tonight, because we trust you to keep your word. Can you extend the same trust to us?" Ohgi asked him.

Zero lowered his gaze to the floor as he considered Ohgi's words. _He has a point. I know their names and their faces. For all they know, I could easily turn them in at any time. If I want them to trust me, and follow my orders... I need to show them that I trust them as well_ , Lelouch realized. _I suppose... I have no choice in this case. Ohgi's right; trust goes both ways_.

" **Okay. But first, let's go somewhere less... out in the open** ," he said as he looked around the wide open space of the warehouse, before pointing at a small office in the corner of the building. Ohgi and Kallen glanced at the office and nodded their heads in agreement to Zero's request.

The trio strode over to the office and stepped inside, with Lelouch lowering the drapes to provide more privacy as Ohgi closed the door behind them. Lelouch then sat down in a chair and turned to face the others. "Okay. I don't think anyone is gonna see you now," Ohgi said as he looked at Zero.

Zero nodded his head before reaching up to grab his helmet. Ohgi and Kallen watched with interest, although Kallen's interest was in the fact that she wanted to see Ohgi's reaction to learning Lelouch's identity. How would he take the fact that he was following the orders of a high school student?

Slowly, the helmet began to fold as Zero's gloved hands pulled it away from his face, revealing black hair, violet eyes, and a black fabric covering everything under his nose. He reached up and pulled down the fabric to reveal the rest of his face to Ohgi and Kallen.

"So... you _are_ Britannian," Ohgi said. Lelouch nodded his head in confirmation.

"Yes," Lelouch said before looking over at Kallen. "What's wrong, Kallen? Cat got your tongue?" Lelouch asked her playfully. "Or are you simply shocked that the lazy vice-president of Ashford Academy's Student Council is the same person who saved your life last month?" he asked her, covering for her knowledge of his identity in front of Ohgi to let her save face.

"I thought your voice sounded familiar," Kallen finally said, nodding her head. Ohgi glanced at her questioningly. "Now I know why... _Lelouch Lamperouge_ ," she said with a forced edge to her voice.

"Well... not quite," Lelouch said. _If I'm gonna do this, I might as well go the whole way_ , he thought to himself as he prepared himself. "You see, Lamperouge is my mother's maiden name, which I took after my father disowned me and my sister," Lelouch explained.

"Okay. What's your birth name, then?" Kallen asked him.

"My birth name... is Lelouch _vi Britannia_ , Eleventh Prince of the Realm," he said firmly, looking both Kallen and Ohgi in their shocked and widened eyes. "Exiled to Japan with my sister as political hostages and then presumed dead following the Invasion of Japan," he continued. "Would you like to know more?"

Ohgi blinked at him in confusion, before inhaling and exhaling slowly. "Um... some context would certainly help," Ohgi said. "If you've been alive this whole time, why haven't you told everyone the truth?" Ohgi asked him curiously.

Lelouch regarding Ohgi with a tilted head. "Hm, tell me, what do you know about the late Empress Marianne and her death?" Lelouch asked Ohgi.

"She was assassinated by pro-Euro Union terrorists, allegedly," Ohgi replied.

"That's the official story, but the truth is never so clear cut. The Europeans would never do something to instigate war with Britannia. In truth, my mother was more likely assassinated by someone within the Britannian nobility who disliked the fact that the current Empress was born a commoner," Lelouch said.

"In either case, my sister, Nunnally, was caught in the crossfire and crippled by a stray bullet, leaving her legs unable to move. She was then disowned by my father, who declared that she had _never_ been his daughter, and then he disowned me after I renounced my claim to the throne, saying that I was dead to him," Lelouch recalled.

 _'You are dead. You have always been dead to me, dead from the moment you were born. Who gave you the fine clothes you wear and comfortable home? The food you eat and your very life? All of those, I have given to you, in short you are not nothing to me because you have never existed. Yet you dare to speak such foolishness to me?! Lelouch, you are dead, therefore you are not entitled to any rights. I am sending you and Nunnally to Japan, as prince and princess, where you will serve well as bargaining tools,' Charles zi Britannia said to his youngest son, Lelouch. The crowd around them looked on silently, with no one daring to utter a word._

"So, Nunnally and I spent two years living in Japan under the watch of Prime Minister Genbou Kururugi," Lelouch continued. "Nunnally and I weren't exactly looked upon with favor by the Japanese officials, despite how we had been disinherited by the Emperor, but we weren't exactly mistreated in any deliberate manner either."

"Although, there were _two_ youths around my age who _did_ enjoy being around us," Lelouch said, a small smile forming on his lips. "A young boy named Suzaku Kururugi, and a young girl named Kaguya Sumeragi," he said, watching Kallen and Ohgi's eyes widen. "Oh yes, I am well acquainted with Princess Sumeragi. She taught me how important it is to be capable of running fast," Lelouch said as he remembered all of the times that the princess would chase him around the Kururugi estate while trying to play with him.

"Suzaku, on the other hand... he and I hated each other when we first met," Lelouch explained with a chuckle. "He took pity on my sister, and she seemed to get along well with him, but I couldn't stand it when he decided to take pity on _me_ ," Lelouch continued. "I hate being pitied. Anyway, long story short, Suzaku and I eventually learned to put aside our differences and became best friends."

Ohgi and Kallen slowly nodded their heads as they absorbed what Lelouch was saying.

"But then... the Invasion happened. The safe house where Nunnally and I were residing was destroyed by Brtiannian aircraft while we were playing in the woods nearby with Suzaku just a day prior to the actual landing of Britannian forces. For a couple of weeks, we stayed in the Kururugi household, until it was decided that we should head for the Embassy in Tokyo, or at least, that's what I told Suzaku," Lelouch said.

"Anyway, Suzaku helped Nunnally and I make our way to Tokyo, and after we reached the Embassy, he went back home because he wanted his father to surrender after seeing all of the death and destruction caused by the war," Lelouch continued.

"But Genbou committed suicide instead," Ohgi said. Lelouch nodded his head in agreement.

"Yes, and then the Japanese government ended up surrendering anyway," Lelouch added.

"But, if I remember correctly, the TV broadcasts said that the Britannian prince and princess had been murdered by our countrymen in anger over the Invasion," Ohgi said, confused.

"That was propaganda. Pure and simple. After all, I was dead to my father, so what would he care if anything actually happened to us?" Lelouch countered.

"Wait... if you had gone to the embassy, wouldn't your survival have been reported?" Kallen asked after a minute.

"Yes, it would have, and then whoever had ordered the destruction of our safe house would very likely have tried to finish the job and create another propaganda story about the Japanese killing us at a later date as revenge for the Invasion. Pure speculation, but highly probable nonetheless," Lelouch replied.

"So, where did you-the Ashfords!" Kallen gasped in realization.

"That's right. You see, the Ashfords were friends with my mother, and had even supported her rise to power, despite her status as a commoner. The death of my mother led to the Ashfords losing status and their foundation losing a great deal of capital. Ruben Ashford, the headmaster of Ashford Academy, was a very close friend of our mother's, so he took us in and we've been hiding in plain sight ever since," Lelouch concluded.

"Okay, but what about your Geass? And Shinjuku? How is that connected to anything?" Ohgi asked Lelouch.

"I was getting to that," Lelouch said. "See, that canister of poison gas you guys stole didn't actually contain poison gas," Lelouch explained. Ohgi's eyes widened.

"What!? Then what was in it!?" he asked Lelouch skeptically.

"A young woman," Lelouch replied. "A living test subject for illegal experiments conducted under General Bartley Asprius and Prince Clovis himself," Lelouch explained. "Now you understand why Bartley gave his troops the kill order in Shinjuku. No witnesses to his and Clovis's crime," Lelouch continued.

"Okay, but what were you doing in Shinjuku in the first place?" Ohgi asked Lelouch.

"I had fallen into the back of the truck carrying the canister," Lelouch replied.

"And how did _that_ happen?" Ohgi asked in return.

"Well, when the motorcycle I was riding in was almost run over, Kallen and Nagata ended up crashing the truck. I went over to see if they needed help, and after I found an entrance into the back, the truck started moving again, thus taking me on a ride to Shinjuku," Lelouch explained.

"Wait... how do you know Nagata's name?" Kallen asked Lelouch.

"He was there when the canister was opened by accident. Nagata helped me and the girl escape from Britannian forces before he was killed," Lelouch explained. "Were he still alive, I would have chosen _him_ as a liaison instead of Kallen, as he would recognize me and thus would be able to vouch for me," he added. "Unfortunately, he died while distracting a group of Britannian infantry to allow me and the girl to escape, so I can't use his testimony to back up my claims."

"Okay, but what about the girl? What happened to her?" Kallen asked him.

"Oh, she's alive. In fact, you met her last week at school. Lime green hair, yellow eyes, a love for pizza," Lelouch replied.

"Wait... Cecile Carmack? The new exchange student?" Kallen asked, referring to the alias that C.C. had decided to use during her stay at Ashford.

"Yes, although Cecile Carmack is just an alias," Lelouch explained. "I've tried to find out her real name, but she simply insists that I should just call her Cee-Two because she apparently can't remember it," he added.

"Okay, so General Bartley was trying to recapture this Cecile girl in Shinjuku," Ohgi said, trying to wrap his head around everything. "You still haven't explained the whole Geass thing yet," he added. Lelouch smirked at him.

"Cee-Two gave me my Geass," Lelouch said.

"She... gave you that power?" Ohgi asked Lelouch. Lelouch nodded his head. "Is that why she was being used as a test subject by Bartley and Clovis? Or was she given that power because of the experiments they performed on her?" Ohgi asked him.

"They were experimenting on her _because_ of her powers," Lelouch said. "And, speaking of Cee-Two, I'm going to have her join us during our next mission and meeting together. It's because of her that I have my Geass, which means all victories I obtain through it are indirectly a result of meeting her," Lelouch said.

Ohgi and Kallen nodded their heads in... various degrees of understanding. "So... how do we explain the girl and your identity to the others?" Ohgi asked Lelouch.

"You won't. _I_ will explain everything to them... with the help of Cee-Two. She is, after all, my accomplice. Also, I have some uniforms being prepared for you and the others to wear during our next mission," Lelouch said.

"Uniforms? Like yours?" Kallen asked him.

"Um... not quite. Although, the hats will incorporate visors that can block my Geass, so you won't need to worry about wearing those glasses all the time," Lelouch responded.

"Okay, Ze-I mean, Lelouch... what do we tell the others if they ask about you identity?" Ohgi asked him curiously. "I'd rather not lie to them if I don't have to," he added.

Lelouch considered Ohgi's query for a minute, before letting out a sigh. "You may tell them... that I am Britannian, and that I am helping you in the fight against Britannia for my own personal reasons," Lelouch finally said.

"Okay, but what if they just think that you're using us because of that?" Ohgi asked him.

"Well... I suppose I am in a way. But, you are also using _me_ as well. I want revenge against the Empire for what happened to my sister, while you wish to free Japan," Lelouch said. "My sister is still alive and in school, but she's also still crippled. Britannia's Social Darwinist ideology is so widespread and ingrained into the culture that once she graduates from school... she's not going to make it very far on her own," Lelouch added.

"My ultimate goal is to change Britannia so that my sister and those like her will be able to survive on their own without worrying about being preyed upon by everyone else. I want to change Britannia so that people who find themselves needing assistance aren't disowned by their families for not being self-sufficient anymore. Ultimately... I want to make a world where my sister can live happily and without fear," Lelouch said.

"Okay, that's... not what I expected to hear," Ohgi admitted, somewhat dumbfounded by Lelouch's confession. "Especially coming from Britannian Royalty," Ohgi added. Lelouch chuckled at Ohgi's words.

"Ex-Royalty, technically. Anyway, I will help you get as far as I possibly can in attaining your goal of freeing Japan, if you help me achieve mine. I cannot guarantee that I will _succeed_ in freeing Japan entirely, or that it will even stay free if we manage to drive out Britannia. I also know that you cannot guarantee the completion of my goals either," Lelouch continued.

"But knowing that... I am willing to put my trust in you to help me as much as you can, if you are willing to put your trust in _me_ to help you as much as _I_ can," Lelouch said, holding out a gloved hand to Ohgi. Ohgi looked down at the hand and considered Lelouch's offer. He glanced over at Kallen before looking back at Lelouch.

 _He's pretty much admitted that he sees helping us as just a means to an end, but at the same time, we're viewing him almost the same way. We're letting him help us because of his Geass and what he can do with it to help us win. I'd be a hypocrite to refuse on those grounds. But he's also Britannian Royalty, however... he was disinherited by the Emperor simply for defending his sister after their mother was killed. He's got just as much right to despise the Empire as we do. Plus, it's better to have someone with his power_ _ **helping**_ _us as opposed to working_ _ **against**_ _us_ , Ohgi reasoned to himself.

"Okay," Ohgi said as he reached out and grasped Lelouch's hand in his own, giving it a firm shake. "We'll help each other achieve our goals as much as we can," Ohgi said before pulling back. Lelouch nodded his head in agreement.

"Then it's settled," Lelouch said. "Oh, one more thing? When we meet in front of the others, remember to call me Zero," Lelouch said as he stood up and put his helmet back on. " **I'd rather not take the risk of Big Mouth going around and blabbing to everyone** ," he said. Kallen and Ohgi both nodded their heads in understanding as Lelouch turned to face the door.

"Um... Lelouch?" Kallen spoke up. Lelouch and Ohgi both turned to look at her. " **Yes?** " Lelouch asked her in response.

"Your Geass... um, you said that you used it on me shortly after the battle in Shinjuku, right? When exactly was... wait a minute, was it the day that I was inducted into the student council?" Kallen asked him.

" **Yes. I had asked you about your status as the pilot of the Red Glasgow, and you confirmed by suspicions** ," Lelouch replied through his helmet. " **Granted, I had already seen you inside the truck, but given how you had styled your hair... well, I felt it was better to be safe than sorry** ," he added.

"Okay, I guess that makes sense. But... one thing I want to know is... have you used your Geass on me since then? I mean, did you use it on us to make us work with you tonight?" Kallen asked him with concern in her voice.

" **No. I can only use it once per individual. Unless I give specific command parameters so that they will follow more orders in the future, once I break eye contact, I can no longer use my Geass on that person again** ," Lelouch explained.

"But on the train, those people-" " **Had been Geassed with very specific and intricate instructions so that I didn't need to look them in the eye again. It was probably my most experimental usage of Geass since I first received it** ," he said, interrupting her.

" **I have already used it on you once, Kallen. I cannot use it on you again** ," he said firmly, putting her fears to rest. " **Besides, if I had used my Geass to make you guys work with me, I would have used it to make sure that everyone came along tonight** ," he added before turning back around to face the door.

"Wait... can you... prove it? I mean, right here and now, can you prove that your Geass won't work on me a second time?" Kallen asked him. Lelouch slowly turned around and took off his helmet to look her in the eyes.

"Ohgi, stay out of my line of sight," Lelouch warned. Ohgi stepped back and watched as a red glow emanated from Lelouch's left eye. "I order you to stand on one leg and pat the top of your head for the next two minutes," Lelouch said as he tried to use his Geass on Kallen.

Kallen blinked at him with a raised eyebrow. She saw the glow emanating from his left eye, but nothing else. She didn't feel any different from normal and she had no memory gaps.

"See? I can't use it twice on the same person," Lelouch said before putting his helmet back on.

"Wait, I have one more question," Ohgi said as Lelouch walked over to the door. " **Yes?** " he asked him in return. "Um... what was that Orange thing you mentioned earlier?" Ohgi asked him.

" **Oh, that? That was just something I made up to confuse the Britannians** ," Lelouch replied with a chuckle. He then grabbed the handle of the door and pushed it open.

* * *

 **Tokyo Military HQ, Tokyo Concession, Area 11, Sunday Morning, September 24, 2017 ATB**

Sitting up on his cot inside holding cell J-117, Margrave Jeremiah Gottwald looked through the bars at Villetta and Kewell. Two Military Police, armed with SMGs, accompanied them as they unlocked the door of the cell and dragged Jeremiah out. Kewell glanced back at Jeremiah as he walked behind him, his eyes narrowed in a glare.

Returning his focus ahead of them, Kewell strode through the corridors of the military HQ until they reached an interrogation room. After sliding his access card through the reader, the door slid open and Jeremiah was led inside, where he saw Prince Clovis sitting at a table with a calm but annoyed expression on his face. Jeremiah was forced to sit in a chair on the opposite end of the table.

Jeremiah was still wearing the uniform he'd worn the previous night, but his hands were cuffed in front of him. Villetta and Kewell took seats next to Clovis, while the the two MP guards stood inside the doorway after it closed. Jeremiah opened his mouth to speak, but Clovis held a hand up to stop him.

Slowly, Clovis shook his head in disappointment at Jeremiah, before looking over at Kewell and nodding his head. Kewell then reached into his uniform and retrieved a multi-page report on the previous night's events, handing it to Clovis. Clovis quickly read the report before setting it down on the table.

"Jeremiah Gottwald... I want an explanation for your behavior last night," Clovis demanded firmly.

"I... I don't remember any of it," Jeremiah said, confused by what he had heard about his own actions from everyone around him.

"You don't _remember!?_ You opened fire on your own subordinates! And then you let an admitted murderer get away!" Clovis retorted, keeping his own suspicions regarding Jeremiah's behavior to himself. With the report on Villetta Nu's memory fog regarding the hijacking of her own Sutherland during the Battle of Shinjuku, Clovis was now very confident that C.C. had managed to form a contract and bestow Geass to someone following her escape. However, it would be very problematic if he were to let this knowledge become widespread, so he played up a facade of being as in the dark as everyone else.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness, but that's the truth! I remember seeing the masked man on the van, and then... being back in the Concession and having guns pointed at me once I exited the Police Glasgow. I can't remember anything between those points," Jeremiah said.

Villetta's eyes widened as she realized that Jeremiah was experiencing the exact same phenomenon she had gone through back in August while in the Shinjuku Ghetto. She was brought out of her reverie when Clovis spoke. "Lord Jeremiah Gottwald... I am sorry, but following your disgraceful behavior last night and the fact that you allowed the man who claimed to have killed General Bartley to get away without a scratch... I am hereby relieving you of the title of Margrave and all authority inherent with the title," Clovis said.

"The paperwork to confirm your demotion will be processed by the end of the night, with forms being sent to Pendragon via E-mail as soon as I leave this room, and tomorrow you will be reassigned to a new position where you will not be able to cause any further damage to this administration," Clovis continued firmly. "Kewell Soresi will be promoted to the title of Margrave and receive all of its authority once your demotion has been properly filed and confirmed," Clovis said.

Jeremiah's face fell, and he looked down at the surface of the table in shame and dismay. "It's nothing personal, Gottwald, but... it seems that you are just no longer fit for duty," Clovis said with false remorse in his voice. In truth, he felt only faint sympathy for the man, and that was only due to the fact that the late Princess Nunnally had adored Jeremiah back when she had been living in the Aries Villa.

Villetta, deciding to test her luck, raised her hand. Clovis noticed this and looked at her questioningly. "Do you have something to add to this discussion, Lieutenant Nu?" Clovis asked her curiously.

"Yes, Your Highness," Villetta replied. "Your Highness, I do not mean any disrespect, but I do wish to state that Jeremiah's memory loss following his actions bears a great deal of similarity to the memory loss I suffered after losing my Sutherland in Shinjuku," Villetta said.

Clovis raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh, I see... yes, the same hijacking that allowed the terrorists to ambush our forces and then kill General Bartley," Clovis said with a frown, narrowing his eyes at Villetta. "Although, at least Jeremiah here was able to remember _encountering_ the terrorists," Clovis added.

"Yes, but sire, whatever this 'Zero' person did to Jeremiah must also have been done to me as well," Villetta said defensively. "This Zero clearly has the ability to alter people's minds and their memories. I'm sure that if we review the footage from the Police Glasgows' Factsphere sensors and police cameras, we can find out how he did it," Villetta said.

It was then that Kewell cleared his throat. "Your Highness, if I may?" Kewell asked Clovis.

"Very well, do go on," Clovis said to Kewell.

"Your highness, while I was surveying the confrontation between Jeremiah and Zero, I noticed a faint red glow emanating from the man's helmet just before Jeremiah went berserk. At first I thought it was just a reflection from the lights of our vehicles or perhaps a sign on a nearby building," Kewell said. "Now, however... well, it's possible that this Zero person may have something built into his helmet that can affect people's mental states," Kewell said.

"Hm, I see," Clovis said. "Still... we have to maintain a professional face for the public and everyone else. Dozens of police officers witnessed Jeremiah's behavior, as did numerous Elevens, many of whom are no doubt spreading rumors that will reach our security checkpoints and spread throughout the Concession soon enough. I'm afraid that I must still go through with Jeremiah's demotion in order to preserve this administration's integrity," Clovis said to Kewell.

Kewell nodded his head. "I understand, Your Highness," Kewell said, secretly pleased with Jeremiah being pushed aside. He had always viewed Jeremiah as being a less-than-acceptable leader for the Purebloods, mostly due to the man's role as the Knight of Honor for the commoner-born Empress Marianne, as well as the rumors regarding his closeness to her and the late Princess Nunnally.

"Also, there is another point that must be taken into consideration here," Clovis said. Everyone looked at him curiously. "I am referring, of course, this mysterious 'Orange' debacle that this Zero person mentioned," Clovis clarified before he looked at Jeremiah questioningly.

"Tell me, Jeremiah Gottwald, do you have any clue as to what this 'Orange' that Zero spoke of is about?" Clovis asked him.

"Not really. One of the few things I remember from last night was a brief hypothesis I had about the possibility that Orange may have been the code name for whatever gas was in the canister that had been stolen," Jeremiah said.

"Hm... interesting, yet Zero spoke about this 'Orange' secret as though it were something related to you personally," Clovis said as he looked at the transcripts of the recorded audio from the previous night's confrontation. "Either way, this will certainly add to the rumors that are no doubt spreading from those who witnessed last night's debacle. Once again, I have nothing against you on a personal level, Lord Jeremiah, but we must maintain a sense of integrity, and that means there _will_ be an investigation into this Orange secret, whatever it is," Clovis said.

"I will have a script ready for your... departure and the transfer of responsibility to Kewell on Monday. You will not deviate from the script that I will have written for you. Is that understood?" Clovis asked Jeremiah. Jeremiah nodded his head solemnly in response.

"Good. Now, Jeremiah, you will have the rest of the day to clear out your office and find a location to store any personal effects you may have. Your new assigned post will be given to you tomorrow morning, and you will go there without question," Clovis said to the older man.

Jeremiah nodded his head quietly in response. "Yes, Your Highness," Jeremiah said softly. Clovis then stood up and motioned for the guards to uncuff Jeremiah and escort him out of the room, with Villetta and Kewell following him.

* * *

 **Ashford Academy, Around Noon...**

Sitting in a chair at his desk in his bedroom, Lelouch grinned as he watched the footage of Zero's standoff with the Britannian SOAP officers and the Purebloods on a popular video sharing website. Several residents of the ghetto had decided to record the activities on their phones and cameras before uploading them to various social media outlets. Granted, those residents used Britannian-sounding pseudonyms when online to avoid suspicion, and many of the cameras and phones were all outdated models when compared to what was available in the Settlements, but they got the job done.

Leaning over Lelouch's shoulder, C.C. watched the footage with mild interest. "So, do I get a costume?" C.C. asked Lelouch. Lelouch looked at her out of the corner of his eye.

"I have one ready for you. You'll need it when we meet up with the rest of Ohgi's cell," Lelouch said. "I plan on introducing you to them before the next mission. There are certain things that need to be explained to them, and I think you're the best person to explain those things," Lelouch said.

"Hmm... have you decided what you're going to call this little group of yours? You've already given yourself a moniker, so why not give the whole group a new name?" C.C. asked him.

"Oh, I've got a list of names that I'm going through," Lelouch replied. He opened up a window on his computer screen and double-clicked on a document file to open it. C.C. began looking at the various names that Lelouch had typed up for himself and the group.

"So... Zero wasn't the first name you had in mind?" C.C. asked him as she looked at the various monikers on the document. The monikers included _Black Regent_ , _Dark Avenger_ , _Veil of Tomorrow_ , _Black Knight_ , _Black King_ , _Black Prince_ , _Black Ghost_ , and even _Lord of Darkness_ of all things. "You were thinking of calling yourself the Lord of Darkness?" C.C. asked Lelouch with a snort.

"Well... it has a certain ring to it," Lelouch replied defensively. C.C. rolled her eyes at him in response. "Hey, you try coming up with a name for yourself that's supposed to be powerful and mysterious," he chided her. "It's not as easy as it sounds," he lamented.

Shaking her head, C.C. began reading the monikers for the group as a whole. Many of these names included _The Defenders of Justice_ , _The Black Tide_ , _The Black Rebellion_ , _The Avenging Darkness_ , _The Swords of Justice_ , _The Eaters of the Dead_ , _The Fighters of Truth_ , _The Black Knights_ , _The Black Guard_ , and _The Wave of Change_. "You have a thing for names with the words 'dark' or 'black' in them, don't you?" C.C. asked Lelouch teasingly.

"What? It adds to the intimidation factor," Lelouch said defensively. "Nobody is going to fear a group that calls themselves The Blue Vandals or something like that," he said as an example. "You gotta use words that evoke fear and dread, words that are related to things like darkness and blood. So, you need to use colors that evoke that kind of imagery too," Lelouch said.

C.C. stared at him with a blank expression on her face. "Is anything I'm saying getting through to you!?" he asked her with a raised eyebrow. C.C. just stared at him for another minute before waltzing over to the bed and laying on top of it.

"Sure, go ahead and ignore me," Lelouch muttered as he glared at the immortal witch. He then returned his focus to the computer, where he began looking up various arms dealers and nobles with connections to black market dealers for weapons and other pieces of equipment. " _Bitch_ ," he muttered under his breath.

* * *

 **The Viceroy's Palace, Tokyo Concession...**

Sitting in a private room, Clovis dialed the personal conference number for his father. He would need the Emperor's permission to fully demote Jeremiah for what had happened. Sighing as he waited for the connection to be established, Clovis twiddled his thumbs for a few minutes. Finally, he saw the face of Emperor Charles zi Britannia on his screen.

" _Clovis_ ," Charles said expectantly.

"Your Majesty. I have called because I request permission to have a hereditary title removed from a person's name," Clovis said. Following the incident with Lelouch being sent to Japan in 2008, none of the Emperor's children dared to call him father again, except for perhaps Schneizel and Guinevere, but even those occasions were as rare as a blue moon.

" _Really? Who is this person and what transgression have they committed?_ " Charles asked curiously.

"It is Margrave Jeremiah Gottwald, and the details are explained in a report that I have sent to you via E-mail, Your Majesty," Clovis said. He watched as his father raised an eyebrow at hearing Jeremiah's name.

" _Oh? Ole' Jerry, eh? Marianne's personal Knight of 'Honor'. Well now, I haven't heard about **him** in a while. What has he done, exactly?_" Charles asked with a smirk.

"If you check the E-Mail I sent to you, all of the details are in there," Clovis said.

" _Why avoid the subject, Clovis? Did he fuck a nobleman's wife?_ " Charles asked with a snicker.

"Um... no, Your Majesty," Clovis replied, slightly confused. "He, um... opened fire on his subordinates with a Glasgow and allowed the terrorist responsible for killing General Bartley to escape custody," Clovis explained.

Charles's smirk disappeared. " _He...He did what now?_ " Charles asked, caught off-guard by Clovis's statement. Clovis then witnessed a rare expression of genuine bewilderment on his father's face. Charles then began to chuckle darkly, a cruel smile gracing his lips.

" _Send the necessary paperwork to me via E-mail, and I will give each form my personal stamp of approval. Electronic copies of the stamped forms will be sent to you this evening, while physical copies will arrive in Area Eleven sometime next month. By all means, my son, demote this man and strip him of his title_ ," Charles said with a smile before ending the video call.

Clovis turned off the TV screen before scratching his head in confusion at his father's behavior. "Why was he so invested? What did Lord Jeremiah ever... on second thought, I'd rather not know," Clovis said to himself, shaking his head.

* * *

 **Kaname Ohgi's Apartment, Later That Evening...**

Sitting down in the small living room of his apartment, Ohgi looked around at his fellow resistance fighters as they parked themselves on his couch and a few stools, all of them holding cans of beer. Kallen was leaning back against a wall, being the only one not holding a beer in her hands. Everyone else was looking at Ohgi or Kallen expectantly.

"So? What can you tell us about Zero?" Yoshida asked him. "What's his real name? Where does he come from?" Yoshida added.

"Yeah! Who is he really?" Tamaki joined in.

"Well... he's Britannian," Ohgi said, causing the others to look at him in surprise. Tamaki scowled at the information.

"You mean if we work with this guy, we're gonna be takin' orders from a Brit?" he asked angrily.

"Yes, Tamaki. That's what it means," Kallen said with a glare. "You have a problem with that?" she asked him.

"Yeah, I've got a problem with that!" Tamaki replied vitriolically. "We're supposed to be fighting _against_ Britannia! How is that gonna work if we're _taking orders_ from a Britannian!?" he asked her aghast.

"Tamaki, Zero has his own personal reasons for fighting, okay?" Ohgi said as he popped the tab on his beer and took a sip. "But he's willing to get us as far as he can if we do the same for him," Ohgi added.

"What does _that_ mean?" Inoue asked Ohgi curiously.

"It means that there's no guarantee that we can actually defeat Britannia, but Zero is still willing to get us as close to that goal as he possibly can. At the same time, there's no guarantee that he can actually get the revenge that he wants against the Empire, but I'm willing to help him get as far as I possibly can," Ohgi explained.

"Revenge?" Yoshida asked Ohgi. "He wants revenge against his own people? What for?"

"It's not so much revenge against the rest of his fellow Britannians, guys. It's revenge against the social and ideological system that hurt someone close to him. Someone he cares about was hurt pretty badly by Britannia's own social ideology. His goal is, oddly enough, to make the world a gentler place for that person," Ohgi explained.

"Uh... okay, and who is this person?" Tamaki asked him curiously.

"That's not for me to say. You guys didn't go along last night when you had the chance, so you'll have to wait for him to reveal his personal information to you," Ohgi replied. "If you want to know who he really is, you'll have to earn that privilege, like Kallen and I did," he added.

"So... do you think we can trust him?" Yoshida asked Ohgi. Ohgi took another sip from his beer and looked Yoshida in the eyes.

"Yes. I believe we can trust him. He can't guarantee that he will be able to free Japan from Britannia, but he's willing do what he can to get us as far as possible, and that's all we can really ask of _anyone_ at this point," Ohgi said.

"Wait... what about that Geese thing of his?" Tamaki asked. Everyone looked at Tamaki suspiciously. "I mean, how do we know he hasn't used it to make us his slaves or anything?" Tamaki asked.

"Tamaki, he gave us those glasses to protect us from the Geass. Besides, he can only use it a limited number of times on any individual," Ohgi explained, leaving out the fact that said limit was effectively one time. "So, stop worrying so much," he added before taking another sip of his beer.

"Okay, but then why doesn't he just take a plane over to the Britannian homeland and use it to make the Emperor declare Japan to be a free nation again?" Tamaki asked in response.

"I'm pretty sure the Emperor would just re-invade Japan after his memory returns. Either that, or someone might just assassinate the Emperor and make the declaration null and void," Kallen said. "Also, if he tried ordering the Emperor to do anything, the Emperor could just have him killed as soon as he came back to his senses," she added.

"Well, what if he ordered the Emperor not to kill him?" Tamaki asked her.

"Then someone else might decide to kill him," Kallen replied. Tamaki slowly nodded his head in understanding.

Everyone else was silent as they processed everything they had discussed so far. Finally, after a few minutes of silence, Inoue spoke up. "If you two are willing to put your trust in Zero... I will too," she said firmly.

"So will I," Yoshida said.

"Same here," Minami chimed in.

"Count me in," Sugiyama said.

Everyone then looked at Tamaki expectantly. Tamaki looked around at everyone before he realized what they were waiting for. With a frown and the sagging of his shoulders, Tamaki gave in. "Fine. I'll work with Zero," Tamaki said begrudgingly.

* * *

 **The Government Borough, Tokyo Concession, Area 11, Monday Morning, September 25, 2017 ATB**

Stepping up to the podium in the main convention hall of the Government Borough, which was just another name for the Viceroy's Palace, Jeremiah Gottwald quietly inhaled as he looked at the multitude of reporters and journalists who had been gathered for this press briefing by Clovis. Flanking Jeremiah on both his left and his right were two rows of men and women of the Pureblood Faction, including Villetta Nu to his right and Kewell Soresi to his left, along with four others to Villetta's right and four others to Kewell's left. Jeremiah swallowed quietly before he looked down at the papers in his hands, which included the official promotion of Kewell Soresi as the new Margrave of the Pureblood Faction and the script written by Clovis for his announcement.

Jeremiah hadn't felt this disappointed in himself since the day after Marianne's assassination, for which he blamed himself by not being by her side when she needed protection. If only he had disobeyed her orders for him to leave her alone, perhaps he could have saved her. But that was the past, and he needed to focus on the present.

Putting on a straight face, Jeremiah reached to tap the microphone. "Ahem. May I have everyone's attention, please?" Everyone soon was focusing on him. "Thank you. Now, all of you have been gathered here today because there are some rather big changes being made to this administration," Jeremiah said.

"First and foremost, I, Jeremiah Gottwald, am stepping down from my position as the leader of the Purist Faction of the Britannian military. Serving in the capacity of Margrave has been a most fulfilling experience, but it has become readily apparent that it is time to move on. As a nation, it is in our blood to strive and perservere, to overcome any and all obstacles by adapting and proving ourselves to be strong enough to survive," Jeremiah said, reciting Clovis's script.

"Therefore, the new leader of the Pureblood Faction will be Kewell Soresi, a man who is more than capable of handling the role of Margrave and leading Britannia's strongest into the future," Jeremiah finished. He then set the paper confirming Kewell's appointment on the podium and motioned for the man to step forward. As Kewell began to speak, Jeremiah stepped back and simply allowed himself to wonder what he would be eating for lunch later.

As Kewell continued speaking, Jeremiah noticed Villetta glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, concern evident, though masked, in her expression. It was gone seconds later, and both of them returned their attention to the crowd of reporters as they ate up Kewell's speech. There would be plenty of time to speak later.

 **A Short Time Later...**

As Villetta Nu strode through the hallways of the Viceroy's Palace, she noticed Jeremiah entering an elevator. She began to pick up speed as she tried to pursue him, only for a hand to rest on her left shoulder. Pausing in her tracks, Villetta turned to see Kewell Soresi standing next to her.

"Let him go. He's finished here," Kewell said with an unreadable tone. "Besides, his whole career is nothing but a long line of failures. Honestly, I'm surprised Clovis even allowed him to continue working in the Administration after what happened this weekend," Kewell said.

"But, Jeremiah's still loyal to the Empire," Villetta said in the teal-haired man's defense. Kewell sighed in response.

"Is he? Maybe he was at one time, but once he met the Commoner Empress, his loyalty became hers only," Kewell said with a dry chuckle. "Tell me, Countess Nu," Kewell said, referring to Villetta's current title. "Have you ever heard the rumors about Jeremiah and his time as Empress Marianne's Knight of Honor?" he asked Villetta.

"Well, to be honest, not really. I've never paid much mind those things," Villetta said. Kewell nodded curtly in response.

"Well, let me explain it to you. Have you ever seen pictures of the late Princess Nunnally?" Kewell asked Villetta. Villetta nodded her head in response.

"Yes. Jeremiah had a picture of her and the Empress on his desk. I would see it there every time I visited his office," Villetta said.

"Well, did you ever notice the color of the girl's eyes?" Kewell asked Villetta.

"No, I... didn't pay much attention. They're violet, like most of the Emperor's children, right?" Villetta asked Kewell.

"No. They're orange, like Jeremiah's," Kewell said, shaking his head.

"But, Kewell, the Emperor has other children with different eye colors than himself," Villetta said as she realized where Kewell was going.

"Yes, but those eye colors always belong to the mother if they aren't the same as the Emperor. Now, tell me, why would a woman with _blue eyes_ have a daughter with _orange eyes_ when her son and husband both have _violet eyes_?" Kewell asked Villetta.

Villetta's eyes widened as she did the math in her head. "J-Jeremiah... he... with the Empress!?" Villetta asked in a shocked whisper as she looked around the hallway. Kewell nodded his head in confirmation of Villetta's question.

"Wanna know something else about ole' Jerry?" Kewell asked Villetta. Villetta reluctantly nodded her head in response.

"Ever since he was assigned to Area Eleven, Jeremiah has had this secret mission of searching for Nunnally and Lelouch. He seems to be under the impression that they might have survived through the invasion, on account of the bodies that were said to be theirs having been mutilated beyond recognition," Kewell said.

"But, the bodies were shown on the news! They were identified by a coroner appointed by the Emperor himself," Villetta said.

"He thinks that the corpses shown on the news were a case of mistaken identity," Kewell explained. "Of course, I think that's just the grief-stricken father inside of him being in denial," he added. "One of these days, he might accept the truth, but I doubt it'll be any time soon," Kewell then said.

"Anyway, take my advice and stay away from Jeremiah from now on. Don't let your name get dragged into the mud alongside his, especially since you still have the hijacked Sutherland incident under your name," Kewell said.

Villetta wanted to protest, to say that Zero had been responsible for that as well, since all of the evidence pointed to it, but she held her tongue. She also wanted to tell Kewell that Jeremiah had been the one to accept her into the Purebloods and had helped her advance as far as she had. And still, she held her tongue.

"Listen, Lieutenant... if you ever want to achieve the hereditary title of Baroness... stay away from Jeremiah unless you have to cross paths with him at work," Kewell said. "Besides, what can you expect of a man who fell in love with a commoner? No offense," Kewell said to Villetta.

"N-None taken," Villetta lied in response. "After all, the _Emperor_ fell in love with a commoner," she then said with a vicious smirk on her face. Kewell's face fell as he processed Villetta's statement.

"Yes. Indeed, he did," Kewell said before walking away. Now alone once more, Villetta made her way to the elevator, hoping to at least convey her condolences to Jeremiah if he were still in the building. After all, she owed him at least that much.

 **Meanwhile...**

Stepping into his new office in the Human Resources Department, Jeremiah sighed as he saw his box of personal belongings sitting on the desk. It was an old desk, with only the computer on top of it being newer, as a result Clovis demanding that everything in the Palace be as up to date as possible, regardless of the department. He then looked over at the paper on the desk, with a note typed up on it.

Stepping forward, he picked up the note and read it to himself. It was a list of his assignments for the day. Taking his box of belongings off of the desk, Jeremiah set it down on the floor before booting up his computer. Hesitantly, he began entering his username and password into the login screen, unsure of whether or not his account had been kept intact on the main server.

Fortunately, it had been. Sighing in relief at the fact that one thing had gone right for him, Jeremiah proceeded to follow the instructions on his task list, before the door to his office opened and he saw Villetta entering the room, a concerned look on her face. He looked up at her expectantly.

"This will be the last day that I wear this uniform," Jeremiah said to her as he pointed to his Pureblood military uniform. "After today... I'm wearing a regular uniform," he said with a sigh.

"Lord Jeremiah, I just... I wanted to say that I'm sorry. And... thank you, for all of the encouragement and support that you've given me so far," Villetta said sincerely. Jeremiah nodded his head in appreciation of her words.

"You're welcome, Lieutenant," Jeremiah said with a small smile. "Well, you probably have more important things that you need to do, and I... I have a list of things I need to get started on before I can leave tonight. I guess I'll see you... whenever," Jeremiah said.

"Right. Um, take care," Villetta said as she turned around, only to stop. She then turned to look at Jeremiah before walking over to his box of belongings. "Lord Jeremiah, might I ask you a... personal question?" Villetta asked him.

Jeremiah looked at her and wheeled his chair over to the box before digging through it to retrieve the framed picture of Marianne and Nunnally. He held it up to Villetta. "You want to know why I have this picture, don't you?" he asked her.

"Well, it's just... I've recently heard a rumor about you, and... never mind. I'm sorry for asking," Villetta said as she began to walk away.

"It's true," Jeremiah said, causing her to stop and turn around, looking at him somberly. "If it's about my relationship with the late Empress Marianne... it's true," Jeremiah said firmly.

"And... Princess Nunnally?" Villetta asked him expectantly. Jeremiah nodded his head in confirmation. "You mean, Princess Nunnally..." Villetta trailed off as Jeremiah nodded his head.

"Nunnally... is my daughter," Jeremiah said with a sad smile as he wheeled himself back over to his desk and placed the picture next to the computer monitor. He then glanced up at saw Villetta looking at him with an odd expression. "Take care of yourself, Lieutenant," Jeremiah said before returning his attention to his computer screen.

"Lord Jeremiah, while it may seem ill-advised for me to spend any further time in your presence, I would like you to know that I hold nothing against you. I... I hope that this will not be the last time that we ever speak to one another, for I do consider you to be a close friend," she said. Jeremiah looked up at her and nodded his head in appreciation before returning his attention to the computer screen. Villetta then slowly turned around and walked away, letting the automatic door slide open to let her pass before it closed behind her.

* * *

 **ENDING THEME:** _ **A Kind Of Magic**_ **, by Queen.**

* * *

 **PREVIEW OF NEXT TIME**

In the next chapter of _Two Steps Forward, One Step Backward_ , word begins to spread around the ghettos about Zero and his stand against Britannia, eventually reaching the ears of the secretive Six Houses of Kyoto, who begin to investigate this mysterious figure. Meanwhile, Suzaku helps Lloyd and Cecile test out a new feature for the Lancelot after Lloyd fixes a crippling flaw in its design.

* * *

Author's Notes: And that was Chapter 05! So, even though I removed the framing of Suzaku, I still managed to incorporate the "Orange Incident" in some way. Ohgi and Kallen now both know the truth about Zero and Lelouch.

Now, with what I've done with Jeremiah, I'm maybe starting to reconsider the whole Villetta X Jeremiah pairing, buuuuut... there's still that regulation thing. And there's the whole Villetta X Ohgi thing that I'm still considering trying to pull off in a way that can work. But, at this point... I'll probably flip a coin and see what happens.

So, I've finally confirmed that in this story, Jeremiah Gottwald is Nunnally's biological father. I actually made it five chapters before confirming something like this! Normally, I accidentally give this kind of thing away in the _first_ chapter, like I did with _Evangelion: Rewired_.

Now, the reason behind making Jeremiah Nunnally's father is that I've read countless fics where Jeremiah pledges his servitude to Lelouch because of his loyalty and love for Marianne. His love and loyalty for Marianne are always brought up time and time again, and I've been thinking to myself... why not go that extra step? Why hasn't anybody written a story where Jeremiah actually, you know, got _involved_ with Marianne at some point? So, I took it upon myself to be the person to make that happen.

Also, you may have noticed that Suzaku has been absent for a couple of chapters. Well, don't worry! He'll be back in the next chapter for a couple of segments.

Speaking of Suzaku, who do you all think I'm going to pair him with prior to Narita? Let me know who you think it will be in your reviews.

Also, the next chapter will feature 25 percent more Lloyd Asplund!

One last thing. One of the names for the Black Knights on Lelouch's list, _The Eaters of the Dead_ , is a reference to a Michael Crichton novel of the same name. This novel served as the basis for the movie _The 13th Warrior_ (1999) starring Antonio Bandares.

I, Anguirus1955, command you to let me know what you think of the chapter and/or the story so far in your reviews!


	6. The Good, The Bad, And The Orange

**CODE GEASS: Two Steps Forward, One Step Backward**

By Anguirus1955

Disclaimer: Code Geass is the intellectual property of Studio Sunrise.

Here we are again! In this chapter, Suzaku, Cecile, and Lloyd all make their return to the story! As do Shirley, Nina, Milly, and... uh... Rivalz. So, as I established in the previous chapter, Jeremiah is Nunnally's father, Lelouch is oblivious, Emperor Charles is well aware but keeps quiet for his own reasons ( **cough** _Shits &Giggles_ **cough** ) and Clovis is still alive... for now.

Also, the main paring is Lelouch x Kallen, but it's going to be a slow burn romance, so... it'll take a while before they actually show interest in each other on a romantic level. I'm talking at least another 17 chapters or so. I plan for this to be a 40 - 50 chapter story, so I don't feel the need to rush any developments between characters. Also, this story will take place over the course of at least 1 & 1/2 to 2 years, with several weeks or even months between certain battles.

On another note, this chapter introduces some more real world weapons into the story. Please note that despite this, the backgrounds of certain weapons are obvious changed to reflect the alternate timeline that Code Geass takes place in. Therefore, any brand that is American-made in real life is Britannian-made in Code Geass. Also, because NATO doesn't exist in the Code Geass universe, the NATO designation for certain ammunition types is excluded.

Also, if Britannia is anything like America, then people drive on the right side of the road, and so that's how I'm describing things in this story when people drive cars around, and that means I'm also describing most vehicles having their driver's seats and steering columns being on the left side of the vehicle. That's what makes sense to me, so... it just makes it easier to write. It also means that teenage characters in this story probably have drivers' licenses while still in high school, which isn't allowed in real life Japan, but this is fiction.

Also, Shirley's hair will be described as orange in this story, since... you know, its fucking _orange_. Kallen, however, is _red_. The more you know.

Anyway, I want to make clear that chapters which aren't based on pre-existing episodes of canon Code Geass will probably take longer to write than chapters that _are_ based on pre-existing episodes because there are no clear outlines or references for how to structure these particular chapters. Chapters based on pre-existing episodes have a basic outline that I can use for reference, making those chapters easier to write.

As with all stories that I write, I listen to music while writing to help myself get into a groove or to help myself capture certain feelings while writing. It can help inspire me sometimes. Music that I listened to while writing this chapter include _Code Geass OST_ 1 - 2 (2006 - 2007) by Kotaro Nakagawa, _The Fifth Element Original Motion Picture Soundtrack_ (1997) by Eric Serra, _Can't Buy Me Love_ (1987) by Robert Folk, and _Halo 2 Anniversary Original Soundtrack_ (2014) by Martin O'Donnell & Michael Salvatori with new recordings by Skywalker Sound.

Please note that listening to this music while reading the story is _**not**_ a requirement. I simply provide this as a little something extra to help enhance the reading experience, if you the readers so wish to do so. Most of this music can be found and heard on YouTube or any number of anime soundtrack websites.

Sudden and Suspicious Disclaimer: I also advocate the purchasing and obtaining of official soundtracks through legal means.

Music From _Code Geass OST 1 - 2_ (2006 - 2007): _Zero_ , _Strange Girl_ , _Cold Nobility_ , _Invisible Sound_ , _Outside Road_ , _Devil Created_ , _First Signature_ , _Boyhood_ , _Last Adolescence_ , _Lack of Power For Wisdom_ , _Feel Ambivalents_.

Music From _The Fifth Element_ (1997): _Koolen_ , _Akta_ , _Mina Hinoo_ , _Leeloominai_ , _Korben Dallas_ , _Badaboom_ , _Human Nature_ , _Leeloo_ , _Heat_.

Music From _Can't Buy Me Love_ (1987): _Broken Moon_ , _Rent Me_ , _Geek Groove_ , _Thinking of You_ , _Siberia_ , _For You_ , _Don't Forget_.

Music From _Halo 2 Anniversary OST_ (2014): _Not A Number_ , _Jeopardy_ , _Charity's Irony_ , _Cracked Legend_.

 **Track Order Listing - All After Opening Theme And Before Ending Theme**

 **01**. _Cracked Legend_ (Warehouse delivery), **02**. _Feel Ambivalents_ (Kyoto House meeting), **03**. _Jeopardy_ (Lancelot test), **04**. _Geek Groove_ (Sub shop meeting), **05**. _Siberia_ (Lunch between friends), **06**. _Occupied Thinking_ (Clovis's plot).

 **Music After Ending Theme**

 **07**. _Not A Number_.

* * *

 **OPENING THEME:** _ **Princes Of The Universe**_ **(by Queen)**.

* * *

 **CHAPTER 06: The Good, The Bad, And The Orange**

* * *

 **A Warehouse, Shinjuku Ghetto, Area 11, Friday Evening, September 29, 2017 ATB**

"So, how long are we supposed to wait again?" Tamaki asked for the umpteenth time as he leaned back against a support strut. He and the others had been summoned to the warehouse, owned by Ohgi and lent out as storage space to others for cheap money, nearly an hour earlier. Tamaki was starting to get anxious. He could only stay still and in one place for so long.

"Have some patience, Tamaki," Kallen said. "He'll be here," she added. She was getting annoyed by Tamaki's constant whining.

"When? We've been waiting for almost an hour already," Tamaki retorted. Kallen frowned at the man and shook her head. Kallen then felt her phone vibrate before retrieving it from her pants pocket.

She looked at the caller ID to see who it was before answering it. " _Kallen, we'll be at the warehouse in just a minute. Have the doors open for us_ ," Lelouch said over the phone.

"Affirmative. Q-One out," Kallen said, nodding her head as she ended the call. "They're almost here," she said to everyone as she got up from her chair and rushed over to the doors of the warehouse before pressing the button to open them. The large doors slowly slid open as a large vehicle drove up past the doors before backing up and aligning itself with the open doorway.

Sitting on various crates and stool, Ohgi and the other members of his cell watched as a large delivery truck backed up into the warehouse. Once the vehicle had come to a stop, the passenger side door of the cab opened and Zero stepped out to walk around to the back. Ohgi gestured for the others to follow him as they joined Zero at the door of the truck.

Zero unlatched the locking mechanism and the door slid upwards over the roof. "Yoshida, Inoue, grab the ramp," Ohgi said. Inoue and Yoshida nodded their heads before darting over to a large structural pillar to grab an adjustable mechanical ramp, pushing it over and lining it up with the back of the truck before using a lever on the side to adjust the angle of the top part.

"Ramp's good to go!" Inoue grinned. Ohgi nodded at her before he looked back at the truck to see something very weird. Zero was already inside the truck... and standing next to the ramp. Ohgi did a double take before he realized that there were _two_ Zeroes.

 _That must be What's-Her-Name wearing the other Zero outfit_ , Ohgi realized as both Zeroes started unloading various boxes and crates from the truck. He quickly moved forward to start helping with the unloading process. Over the next forty minutes, nine people had emptied the truck of all of its contents. Once the door was pulled back down and locked into place, Zero-1 walked up to the driver and gave him a command.

With red tinted eyes, the driver nodded his head and began making his way out of the warehouse, taking several turns and looping around the ghetto twice before making his way to a security checkpoint near the outskirts of the Concession. He wouldn't remember anything by morning. Lelouch's Geass would make certain of that.

As the doors of the warehouse were pulled shut, the group began lining up the crates and boxes that had been unloaded. Before anyone could open them, however, Zero cleared his throat as he walked over to the load and stood before everyone, with the other Zero standing next to him. " **My fellow resistance fighters, before we begin this meeting, I would like to introduce my accomplice, Zero-Two. She was with me in Shinjuku in August, and she is the one who gave me the power of Geass** ," Zero-1 explained.

Zero-2 then reached up and took off her helmet, revealing a mane of lime-green hair to everyone. "I am Cee-Two," she said as she looked around at the group. Everyone stared at her in varying states of confusion, with the exception of Kallen.

"Um... okay," Tamaki said quietly, scratching his head.

"You may also refer to me as Zero-Two," C.C. said as she looked around. Sighing, she decided that a proper explanation was in order. "The poison gas canister that you stole back in August did not contain poison gas in it. It was a transfer module meant to contain _me_ ," she explained.

"Therefore, since you are responsible for my escape from Clovis and General Bartley, I have decided to accompany you in your efforts to fight back against Britannia," C.C. said. Everyone slowly nodded their heads as they processed C.C.'s words.

"Um... why were you in that canister in the first place?" Inoue asked her curiously.

"I was being used as a living human test subject for illegal experiments," C.C. explained tersely.

Inoue's face blanched at the explanation. Meanwhile, Yoshida scratched his chin in contemplation. "Experiments? Zero here said you were the one who gave him his Geass. Is that related to these experiments?" Yoshida asked her.

"Yes," C.C. replied with a nod of her head. Yoshida then nodded his own head solemnly in understanding.

" **Now, with Zero-Two's introduction out of the way, let us begin unpacking our new... equipment** ," Zero said as he held up a crowbar. Everyone else grabbed tools to open the crates and joined in. Before long, all of the lids had been popped, and the various items were being lifted out of the crates and placed onto some nearby tables.

"Hey, are these our new uniforms?" Minami asked as he held several sets of black pants and jackets in his arms. The others quickly made their way over to crate holding the clothing and retrieved the uniforms for see them for themselves.

" **Indeed, they are** ," Zero replied with a nod of his head. " **Ladies and gentlemen, from this night forward, we are no longer just a rag-tag team of resistance fighters. Tonight, we become... the Black Knights!** " Zero announced proudly.

"The Black... Knights?" Sugiyama asked Zero.

" **Yes. We are the Black Knights** ," Zero reiterated. " **Our mission is to bring justice to those in need of it. To help the weak, and remind the strong that it is their duty to** _ **protect**_ **the weak rather than conquer them!** " Zero said proudly.

" **Now, onto the next order of business** ," Zero said as he walked over to several weapons that had been laid on the tables. Some of the weapons were familiar to the group, such as the MP5 submachine guns and its more compact variant, the MP5K, along with certain pistols. Many of the larger rifles, however, were new equipment that none of the newly-formed Black Knights had ever laid their hands on before now.

C.C. was the one who began the lecture, as her longevity meant that she had more experience in handling most weapons than anyone else in the room. She picked up one of the assault rifles and held it up for the Black Knights to see. "This is the Heckler and Koch Gee-Thirty-Six V assault rifle. It was originally going to be given to the Britannian military in the nineteen nineties as the mainline service rifle, but due to souring relations between Britannia and the Euro Union, this never happened," C.C. explained.

"However, private security forces operating within Britannia and working for the Britannian government _have_ adopted the weapon, thus making it readily available on the black market and allowing us access to the gun through channels that would otherwise be inaccessible," she said.

"Um... how do you know all of this?" Yoshida asked her.

C.C. ignored Yoshida and continued explaining the weapon. "The weapon fires standard five point fifty-six by forty-five millimeter rounds, and it can be set to semi-automatic or fully automatic modes. There is no burst fire unless you adjust your trigger tapping accordingly while using full auto," she explained.

"You're way too young to know this stuff," Minami muttered under his breath.

"I'm older than you think I am. I only _look_ like I'm young enough to still be in school," C.C. snapped. Minami blinked at her in surprise. "Anyway, the next weapon on our list is the Heckler and Koch Gee-Three A-Three Battle Rifle," C.C. said as she put down the HK G36 and picked up the HK G3A3 Battle Rifle. It had a mostly black body with olive green colored furniture on it.

"This weapon was developed in the nineteen fifties and _did_ see widespread use throughout Europe and Britannia, especially during the First Pacific War. The version I'm holding here is the A-Three variant, which is the most commonly distributed variant. While this weapon was widely discontinued after the introduction of the Gee-Thirty-Six, there are plenty of Gee-Threes left in the world, making large quantities easy to purchase at a reasonable price. The ammunition it fires is the seven-point-sixty-two by fifty-one millimeter round. The ammunition is _not_ interchangeable with the Gee-Thirty Six. The standard magazine holds twenty rounds in it, although the weapon can also hold fifty-round drums. Because we do not wish to attract _too much_ attention, we are sticking with the twenty-round magazines for now," C.C. explained.

"You've used these guns in the past, haven't you?" Inoue asked knowingly.

"Of course. I've been in my share of fire fights over the course of my lifetime. Maybe I'll tell you about them someday," C.C. replied with a smirk.

"Wait, just how old _are_ you?" Ohgi asked C.C. curiously.

"Hey, man! You don't just ask a lady her age," Tamaki exclaimed with a frown. "That's _rude_ ," he added, shaking his head in dismay at Ohgi's lack of manners. "Besides, she was locked away by the Brits in a lab and used for illegal experiments and stuff for who knows how long. That's probably why she looks so young," he then added as an afterthought.

"Anyway, let's continue with the lecture," C.C. said as she placed the G3A3 on the table before grabbing a Howa Type-89 Assault Rifle and holding it up. "This is a weapon that many of you should be familiar with," C.C. said. "The Howa Type Eighty-Nine Assault Rifle. It fires five-point-fifty-six by forty-five millimeter rounds. It was the standard rifle of Japan's military prior to the Invasion, and it is mostly likely still used by the JLF and other resistance groups with access to such hardware," she said.

She then put the assault rifle down on the table before moving on to the next weapon, which was a very long-barreled rifle with a set of "legs" attached under the barrel. C.C. picked it up with a slight upturn of her lips. "This is the M-Ninety-Nine Anti-Material Sniper Rifle, developed by the Zijiang Machinery Company in the Chinese Federation," C.C. explained to the Black Knights. "It is semi-automatic and its magazine can hold up to ten rounds maximum. It fires twelve-point-seven by ninety-nine millimeter rounds," she added.

"Make sure the check your target and see what is behind it, because the bullet _can_ over-penetrate certain materials and keep going," C.C. added. "It is, after all, an _anti-material_ rifle. These are armor-piercing rounds, so be very careful when firing," she said firmly.

"We only have a handful of these, so don't lose them," she added before putting it down on the table. C.C. then walked over to the heavy weapons that were still in their crates. She reached inside and picked up a very large olive green tube with a pistol trigger and grip, along with a mounted sight. "Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the M-K One-Five-Three Shoulder-mounted Multi-purpose Assault Weapon," C.C. explained as she held the weapon in both hands and presented it to the Black Knights.

"It fires unguided munitions at the enemy, but if you know how to lead your target, then you can take down a Glasgow pretty easily, although I'm not sure how it will fare against Sutherlands. The explosives it fires will definitely damage a Knightmare's hand-held weapons, so focus on those instead of the Knightmares themselves," C.C. continued.

"After using it, do not get rid of it. This weapon is _reloadable_ ," C.C. said with a grin. "With this, you can disarm a Knightmare and leave it vulnerable to attack or hijacking by your teammates. We only have a limited number of these babies in our arsenal, so _do not lose them_ ," she said firmly. "Also, despite having these weapons in our hands, the SMAW will remain unused until we have greater numbers and are fighting out in the open. If we play our hand too early, then the Britannians will adapt. They know the dangers posed by rocket launchers, but as long as they don't know we have them, they shouldn't feel the need to take those precautions just yet," C.C. added.

Ohgi then raised his hand, causing C.C. to raise an eyebrow in curiosity. "Yes, Ohgi?" C.C. asked him.

"Um... we've actually used RPGs in the past against Knightmares, as recently as the battle in Shinjuku, in fact," Ohgi said. "Sooo... they already know that we possess that kind of equipment," he added.

C.C. sighed in frustration. "Well... the ammunition is hard to come by, so we still aren't using the SMAWs until later anyway," she said firmly. The rest of the night was spent showing the Black Knights (including Zero-1) how to disassemble and reassemble their new weapons, followed by the counting of magazines and performing a full inventory of all guns and ammunition.

When they were finished, Ohgi looked at Zero curiously. "Uh, hey, Zero? I couldn't help but notice that there seems to be a bit of a surplus of equipment here. Are you expecting us to go through this stuff in a hurry, or was it just cheaper to buy everything in bulk?" Ohgi asked him.

" **No. It is only surplus for the time being. When our numbers grow, you will see that acquiring everything in bulk was the smart thing to do** ," Zero replied.

"Grow? We're gonna be getting _more_ members?" Ohgi asked him. Zero nodded his head in response.

" **Yes. In order for us to actually stand a chance of surviving more than a few operations, we need to increase our numbers. This means that we will need to start recruiting soon** ," Zero explained. Everyone nodded their heads in agreement.

" **For now, however, it will be just the nine of us. We will need to secure at least one more successful mission together in order to bolster our reputation among the people. To prove that we can make miracles happen** ," Zero said firmly.

* * *

 **The Sumeragi Estate, Area 11, Saturday Morning, September 30, 2017 ATD**

Sitting in a circle around a small table in a room with an old wooden aesthetic were the six leaders of the Six Houses of Kyoto, also known as the NAC. They were an organization of elite Japanese industrialists and plutocrats, who the Britannian Empire had left in charge of running Area 11's major industries, particularly its Sakuradite mining operations, following the surrender of the nation after the one month war. Britannia had decided to leave these natural-born "Elevens" in charge of these industries on the assumption that the economy would flow much more effectively if managed by a collaboration of local industrialists working alongside Britannia rather than being run by solely Britannia itself.

However, the NAC also secretly supplied funding and equipment to various resistance groups within Area 11, including the JLF. It was basically an open secret among everyone, but since there was never any solid evidence to confirm any links between the NAC and the various resistance groups, no one ever bothered to do anything about it.

There were several documents held in front of these men and single female. The lone female of the group, 16 years old Kaguya Sumeragi, held up a document and raised an eyebrow as she read it. When she was finally finished, she lowered the document in his hand and cleared her throat. "Zero is the name this man gives himself," she said before glancing around at the others. "However... there are no individuals or groups with whom we are associated who bear this moniker," she added.

The older men in the group all nodded their heads in agreement. The leader of the group, Taizo Kirihara, opened his mouth to speak. "I have recently spoken with the JLF. There have been no rogue soldiers or officers who could be identified as this masked individual. Furthermore, none of the other resistance groups that the JLF have contacted know anything about this person's identity either," Kirihara said. "It appears that this _Zero_ is a newcomer," he added.

"So it would seem," Tatsunori Osakabe said, nodding his head in agreement. "However, he claims to be the one responsible for the death of General Bartley during the Battle of Shinjuku, and it is confirmed through multiple sources that he managed to force the Britannians back without firing a single shot at them himself again in Shinjuku the other week, apparently convincing one of their own to take up arms against the others," he added suspiciously.

"Not a single shot? Not one bullet fired by himself?" Kaguya asked with wide eyes. Tatsunori nodded his head in response. "That's incredible," Kaguya said in awe.

"Do we know how he did that?" Kirihara asked.

"Well, the report mentions Zero having some kind of large canister behind him, apparently the same gas canister that the Britannians claimed was stolen by terrorists during the Battle of Shinjuku," Kaguya said as she picked up another document and re-read it. "Most audio recordings of last week's incident are of rather low quality, but the transcripts of all recorded dialogue between Zero and the Britannians mention something called 'Orange'," Kaguya said.

"Yes," Kirihara said, nodding his head in agreement. "It would seem that this canister and 'Orange' are somehow connected, but we still do not know how Zero got a hold of this canister to begin with or why he used it the way he did. If it had been filled with poison gas, then surely he would have recorded a message about it and sent it to the other nations of the world to reveal Britannia's violation of international treaties, rather than simply use it to scare a police force into submission," Kirihara said.

"Something doesn't seem right about this," Tousai Munakata said. "It is rather perplexing, to say the least, that the Britannians would not have confiscated the canister as soon as possible following the conclusion of their fight in Shinjuku during August," he added. "Even with the death of General Bartley, certainly the Britannians are smart enough to not let something so dangerous lay around and not retrieve it properly. So, that begs the question of how Zero got a hold of it? Does anyone know how someone could grab something so dangerous from the Britannians without raising any alarms?"

Everyone shook their heads in response. "So, perhaps Zero is in league with the Britannians as part of an elaborate plot to earn the trust of the resistance groups while learning their secrets," Kirihara suggested.

"It would certainly explain how a Britannian Pureblood would take orders from the enemy, as well as how this _Zero_ was able to acquire that canister of poison gas, assuming the gas was still inside of it by the time he had obtained it. And since this _Zero_ wears a mask, his true identity is hidden from everyone. He could very well be a Britannian spy or perhaps an Honorary Britannian spy," Munakata said, reaching up to scratch his beard contemplatively. "Putting on a dazzling display to earn the trust of the Japanese resistance so that he can infiltrate our networks and feed information back to his handlers," he added.

"Perhaps," Kaguya said. "But we must learn more before we can make any decisions on how to handle this _Zero_ figure. We must gather more information about him," she said. "We cannot take any definitive courses of action based solely on speculation," she added. "Doing so would only lead us to expose ourselves and give the Britannians reason to crack down on us," she stated as she looked around at the others.

"We must tread carefully, lest we tie our own nooses to hang from by accident," she added firmly.

* * *

 **A.S.E.E.C. Testing Facility, Outskirts of Tokyo Concession, Area 11, Noon Time...**

Stationed near the outskirts of the Tokyo Concession was the main research and testing facility of the Advanced Special Envoy Engineering Corps, led by Earl Lloyd Asplund. The ASEEC was part of the Britannian Special Research Division, also known as the Camelot Engineering Corps, founded by Britannian Prime Minister Prince Schneizel el Britannia. Camelot and its subdivisions had been given special autonomy outside of regular military jurisdiction by Schneizel himself, with special acknowledgement and approval by Prince Clovis following a brief incident after the establishment of the main facility in Area 11 years earlier.

Inside the main testing lab was the first seventh generation Knightmare Frame, the Lancelot, developed and designed by Lloyd Asplund himself.

Sitting inside the cockpit of the Lancelot, Suzaku Kururugi sighed as he began the warm up sequence for the machine once again, wearing his standard white and black pilot suit with gold trim. "Test Pilot Kururugi reporting. All systems are reading as nominal so far," Suzaku said into his headset. " _Excellent!_ " Lloyd Asplund replied over the headset from the observation room he and Cecile Croomy were standing in.

Over the next thirty seconds, multiple green lights shone around various buttons and switches throughout the cockpit. A small digital screen flashed the words 'SYSTEM READY' at Suzaku in large green letters. "All systems are now powered up. Awaiting further instructions," Suzaku said into the headset, glancing over at a small screen to his left where Lloyd and Cecile could be seen analyzing data.

" _Uh, yes. Very good. Okay, today we are going to be testing the newly installed emergency ejection system_ ," Lloyd said over the com.

"It's about damn time," Suzaku muttered under his breath. " _What was that?_ " Lloyd asked him through the headset. Suzaku looked at the screen to his left and saw the lavender-haired man giving him a sly grin. "Uh, n-nothing, Sir," Suzaku said with a gulp. He and Lloyd were on rather good terms with one another, but Lloyd could also be quite scary when sufficiently provoked.

Of course, Lloyd never exploded into outward bursts of anger. No, he manifested his discontent in other ways that were far more subtle. For instance, insisting on repeating a certain test multiple times or insisting that Suzaku stay and help him analyze data that he knew Suzaku didn't fully understand for hours on end were some of the ways that Lloyd would reprimand the boy. And then, there were the... unorthodox tests that he would insist Suzaku perform with the Lancelot.

Suzaku had learned very quickly to always keep his mouth shut around Lloyd if he had already eaten prior to any tests. After all, cleaning up the cockpit after losing his lunch was something he wanted to avoid if at all possible. Sometimes, it was very difficult to air out the smell of bile, and it could take days for the cockpit to smell decent again.

" _Okay, Suzaku, I want you to move the Lancelot to grid section D-Six. That should put plenty of room between the Lancelot and the safety net by the back wall when you eject_ ," Lloyd said over the headset. Suzaku nodded his head in understanding. "Affirmative. Moving Lancelot to designated coordinates," Suzaku said.

The main testing chamber resembled a very large gymnasium with a grid-marked floor. Moving the seventh-generation machine over the floor without landspinners, Suzaku soon arrived at the designated grid points and parked the Lancelot. "Grid section D-six has been reached. Awaiting further instructions," Suzaku said into his headset.

" _Good. Stand by for one moment_ ," Lloyd said over the headset. Suzaku nodded his head. "Affirmative," he replied.

A minute later, Lloyd's voice sounded over the headset. " _All right! Suzaku, prepare for the first test of the Emergency Ejection System! Enter the code and pull the lever!_ " Lloyd chirped excitedly over the headset. "Affirmative," Suzaku replied, nodding his head as he entered a six-digit numerical key sequence into the main computer to activate the emergency ejection system before grabbing a lever and pulling it.

A small LED screen up by the Factsphere monitor lit up with a short countdown timer on it. In less than three seconds, the timer reached zero. Looking around the cockpit, Suzaku waited for the vibrating feeling of the booster jets activating to tell him that everything was working.

Nothing happened. Blinking in confusion, Suzaku looked back up at the countdown timer. It had reached zero, and yet nothing had happened. "Uh... Lloyd? It isn't working," Suzaku reported over his headset. " _What!? B-But... how!?_ " Lloyd exclaimed in confusion over the headset.

"I entered the proper code and pulled the lever, but nothing's happening," Suzaku reported once more. " _Oh, of all the-wait, I think I know what went wrong! I probably forgot to set up the rocket boosters! I guess we'll have to take the frame apart and re-wire everything again_ ," Lloyd said over the headset, causing Suzaku to frown as his right eye twitched at Lloyd's words.

 _I'm going to die in this machine, aren't I? And it won't even be on the battlefield_ , Suzaku thought to himself in dismay. _I'm gonna die because Lloyd will probably switch the ejection system with the self-destruct by accident, and when I activate it on the next test... boom. My tombstone will probably read 'Here lies the heavily burnt and partially reassembled corpse of Suzaku Kururugi. He died while testing a safety system meant to save his life in the cruelest of ironies'_ , Suzaku thought to himself bitterly.

Suzaku was shaken from his thoughts by the sound of Cecile's voice over the headset. " _Suzaku, bring the Lancelot back to the starting point. We're gonna spend the rest of the afternoon taking it apart again_ ," Cecile said. Suzaku nodded his head and grabbed the controls to move the Lancelot backwards. As soon as he pulled the control yokes back, he felt the cockpit vibrate as the rocket boosters activated. "What the- _oh shit!_ " Suzaku swore in realization.

The boosters fired and sent the escape pod hurdling back through the air, scraping against the ceiling of the room. Inside the cockpit, Suzaku screamed bloody murder in surprise as he was taken on a wild ride, before the escape pod finally crashed into the safety net near the back wall, ending the brief but chaotic test.

" _Suzaku!?_ _ **Suzaku!**_ " Cecile and Lloyd both cried out over the headset as they tried to contact the young man. As soon as the escape pod had impacted against the safety net, the airbags had deployed and smothered him until he found a button to deflate them. His right eye twitching in annoyance at what had just transpired, Suzaku forced himself to take several deep breaths.

" _Oh, I guess the emergency ejection system_ **does** _work after all!_ " Lloyd exclaimed happily over the headset. Suzaku groaned in response. _My life is a never ending nightmare from which there is no escape_ , Suzaku thought to himself as leaned back in his pilot seat and slowly shook his head.

 **The Primary Observation Room, 30 Minutes Later...**

Looking over the data from the test, Lloyd smiled to himself. "My, my, my... it would seem that I had accidentally mixed up some of the wiring," he said, his smile faltering slightly. Standing behind him, Cecile shook her head before looking over at Suzaku, who was sitting in a chair nearby, still wearing his pilot suit.

"However, this _does_ prove that the Lancelot has a functioning emergency ejection system," Lloyd said as he turned around to look at Cecile and Suzaku. "I'd say this calls for a celebration," Lloyd said with a smile. Suzaku resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Tonight, we're having subs!" Lloyd exclaimed, causing Suzaku and Cecile to blink at him in confusion.

"Subs?" Cecile asked Lloyd, slightly confused. Normally, the man would suggest pudding for any celebration, as that was his favorite food. His sheer adoration for the substance had earned him the nickname of " _The Earl of Pudding_ ," among many other nobles and people who had to interact with him on a daily basis, as Lloyd _was_ , in fact, an earl.

"Absolutely," Lloyd replied as he turned around to face his coworkers, nodding his head in confirmation. "The test may not have gone _exactly_ as planned, but it still proved that our newest modification works. Thus, a celebration is in order. It'll be my treat," he explained. Behind Lloyd, several other maintenance personnel could be seen through the windows of the observation room, putting the escape pod back into the Lancelot's frame.

"I'll go call my favorite shop to place an order. Suzaku, why don't you get changed into something else. I may need you and Cecile to go pick up the food. I can't remember if they deliver or not," Lloyd said as he walked away go find a menu that he had stored somewhere. As Lloyd disappeared from the room, Suzaku sighed and stood up.

"I'd better go get cleaned up, just to be safe," he said as he glanced at Cecile. Cecile nodded her head in agreement. It wouldn't do to go walking around in public while wearing a pilot uniform and smelling of sweat.

* * *

 **The Tokyo Concession, Area 11, One Hour Later...**

Driving through the Concession in an ASEEC marked van, Cecile looked at her GPS before searching for a parking space near Sal's Sub Shop. Keeping the front windows of the van rolled down slightly, Cecile brought the vehicle to a stop before backing up to parallel park into a space behind another car. Sitting in the passenger seat next to her, Suzaku sniffed the air as the smell of food from various eateries in the area wafted through his nose.

Cecile soon turned off the engine and took the keys out of the ignition. With both of them wearing the standard orange and black uniforms of the Camelot Research Division, Suzaku and Cecile got out of the van after unbuckling their seat belts. As Suzaku waited for Cecile to walk around the front of the van to reach the sidewalk, he realized that she hadn't locked the doors.

"Uh, Cecile-san? Shouldn't we lock the doors?" Suzaku asked her. Cecile shook her head in response.

"Nah. We won't be away too long. We'll be in and out," Cecile replied confidently as she strode over to the doors of the sub shop, he heels clacking on the pavement of the sidewalk with every step. Following behind her, Suzaku glanced around the neighborhood, noticing a handful of people on the sidewalks looking at him suspiciously. He forced himself to ignore them as he followed Cecile into the sub shop, where the aroma of meats, cheeses, and toasted bread wafted through the air.

Stepping into the shop behind Cecile, Suzaku soon noticed two girls around his age approaching from the other direction of the sidewalk. One of them had dark green hair and glasses, while the other one had long orange hair and a bright smile on her face. Suzaku held the door open for them as they drew closer.

"Thank you!" the orange-haired girl chirped appreciatively as she stepped inside the shop, briefly nodding her head at Suzaku. Suzaku returned the nod before the other girl tentatively approached him and stepped inside, her eyes wide with a nervous glint as she attempted to keep distance between herself and Suzaku.

"Nina, come on," the orange-haired girl said, gesturing for her friend to pick up her pace. Nina nodded her head and focused her attention away from Suzaku as he closed the door gently and returned to Cecile's side. There was a short line made of two people in front of them, but otherwise the shop wasn't very busy.

Stepping up behind Suzaku and Cecile, Nina and her friend waited in line. Nina eyed Suzaku warily, while her friend raised an eyebrow at her. "Is something wrong?" the girl asked Nina.

"N-No, Shirley," Nina replied. Shirley looked at Suzaku before glancing back at Nina. She then rolled her eyes and sighed as she shook her head in dismay at her friend's reaction to the boy in front of them.

"Nina, Nina, Nina. You've _got_ to get over this phobia of yours," Shirley whispered in admonishment. Nina raised an eyebrow at Shirley in response. "Come on, he held the door open for us. I bet he's a proper gentleman," Shirley said with a smile.

" _But he's... you know_ ," Nina whispered in protest. Shirley simply rolled her eyes and shook her head yet again in response. She then reached forward and tapped Suzaku on the left shoulder, prompting him to turn around.

"Uh, yes, Miss?" Suzaku asked Shirley, expecting to be reprimanded for some thing or to be told to leave the shop because he wasn't a full blooded Britannian. His fears were turned on their head however, when Shirley spoke.

"Uh, I just wanted to say thanks once again for holding the door open," Shirley said with a sincere smile on her face.

"Oh. Uh, y-you're welcome," Suzaku responded, reaching up to scratch the back of his head in amazement. He wasn't accustomed to Britannians thanking him out in public like this, unless he was with Cecile or Lloyd. It was usually either scorn or nothing at all from other Britannians.

"By the way, my name's Shirley. Shirley Fenette," Shirley said as she held out her right hand to introduce herself. Nina's eyes widened at Shirley's actions. Suzaku glanced around nervously before reaching out and shaking Shirley's hand.

"Mine's Suzaku. Suzaku Kururugi," Suzaku said with a smile and a curt nod. Shirley nodded her head in response.

"Uh, this is my friend, Nina Einstein. Don't mind her," Shirley said after she saw Nina's eyes widen in response to being introduced. "She's... a bit shy around most people. I'm one of the few people she's friends with, so if she seems a bit nervous around you, don't take it personally," Shirley partially lied as a way of covering for Nina's xenophobia.

Nina recognized what Shirley was trying to do, however, and decided to let things roll without any protest. After all, telling the boy who had courteously held the door open for her that she was afraid of him because of his ethnicity _would_ have been... a bit rude. So, Nina simply nodded her head timidly in agreement with Shirley's statements while occasionally glancing around the sub shop.

"Oh, it's all right," Suzaku said. "I know a few scientists who prefer to spend more time around computers than they do around other human beings," he added with a shrug. Nina's head perked up at hearing those words, and she actually took a moment to examine Suzaku's clothing, finally realizing that he was wearing a uniform with the ASEEC logo stamped on it.

 _So, this... Eleven... is working for the military? Does that mean he's an Honorary Britannian? Even so... I don't feel all that comfortable around him. Next time Shirley wants to go pick up food somewhere, she can take Rivalz or Lelouch with her_ , Nina thought to herself as Suzaku and Shirley continued talking.

"So, that uniform you're wearing; which branch of the military is that?" Shirley asked Suzaku as she noticed the ASEEC pin and the Private insignia pinned to the uniform.

"Oh, um... Special Research Division," Suzaku replied. "We test out new equipment and various things like that," he said vaguely.

"Oh. So, um, what do you _do_ , exactly?" Shirley asked him curiously.

"Uh... well, I'm a test pilot," Suzaku replied. Cecile craned her neck to look over her shoulder as Suzaku talked with Shirley. One of the two customers in front of her was already standing to the side at the pickup counter while the man in front of her was placing his order.

"Ooh, test pilot," Shirley said. "That must be fun," she commented. Suzaku rubbed the back of his head with a nervous chuckle.

"Yeah... ' _fun_ '," he said with a slight hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Only when I'm not being sent to the infirmary," he then added, prompting Cecile to roll her eyes as she listened to the teens conversing. Shirley gasped at Suzaku's statement.

"How often does that happen?" Shirley asked Suzaku with wide eyes.

"Um... not as much as it used to. Our safety standards have risen dramatically over the past couple of years," Suzaku replied. "Now I only get sent to the infirmary once every two or three months, as opposed to two or three weeks like I did when I started," Suzaku said. Shirley's jaw dropped at his words in shock.

"That's... I can't imagine being injured on such a constant basis like that," Shirley said. "You must be pretty tough if you can handle that kind of punishment," she added. Suzaku shrugged his shoulders in response.

"Well... I haven't died yet, so... I guess I'm pretty durable," he replied with a chuckle. Shirley nodded her head in agreement. Suzaku then felt someone tapping on his shoulders, prompting him to turn around.

"Our order's ready," Cecile said to him as she gestured to the large number of wrapped subs sitting on a platter on one of the counters. Suzaku nodded his head in affirmation before turning around to look at Shirley once more.

"Well, sorry to cut things short, but I've gotta get this food back to the lab," Suzaku said. Shirley nodded her head in understanding. "Scientists can't do science on empty stomachs," he added with a chuckle.

"Well, take care," Shirley said. "Maybe I'll see you around one of these days," she added, causing Suzaku to shrug his shoulders as he walked over to the subs.

"Maybe. It depends on how often I get out of the lab. It was nice talking to ya, though. Have a nice day," Suzaku said with a short wave before he helped Cecile pick up the rest of the subs and carried them out of the shop. Shirley watched the duo exit the shop before she moved forward in line with Nina to begin placing their orders.

Meanwhile, Suzaku and Cecile were busy placing the dozen or so subs into the van. After placing them on the seats and securing them with seat belts, much to Cecile's amusement, Suzaku returned to the front passenger seat and waited for Cecile to start the vehicle. "So, who was your friend back there?" Cecile asked Suzaku.

"Huh? Oh, just a girl I held the door open for," Suzaku said. "She was just thanking me is all," he added. Cecile smiled at him.

" _Just_ a girl? Did she have a name? I mean, you two seemed to get along pretty well," Cecile noted with some amusement in her voice as she pulled the van away from the curb and drove away from the shop. Suzaku rolled his eyes as he noticed the teasing tone of Cecile's voice.

"Well, she said her name was Shirley," Suzaku finally replied.

"Mm. What about the other girl?" Cecile asked him, remembering that there had been _two_ girls.

"Um... I think her name was, uh, Mina... or was it _Nina?_ " Suzaku replied, scratching his chin in thought. " _Great_. I can't even remember the name of someone I met five minutes ago," Suzaku snorted with a shrug. He didn't say anything about the girl's obvious wariness of him, and he personally didn't want to dwell on it either. That was back in the shop, and he was on the road again, so there was no need to get himself into a funk by thinking about it.

"Well, at least you talked to a girl in public. That means you're a grown man now," Cecile joked, causing Suzaku to roll his eyes in response before letting out a chuckle. Cecile then turned on the radio to let some music play as she drove them back to the base.

* * *

 **The Government Borough, Tokyo Concession, Area 11, Monday, October 02, 2017 ATD**

Stepping out of an elevator, Villetta Nu walked through the corridors of the Government Borough's Personnel Division. Holding a bag of homemade lunch in her hand, she strode through the corridors before making a right turn to head down another hallway. Despite Kewell's warnings, Villetta couldn't find it in herself to avoid all contact with Jeremiah.

He was her friend, after all, and he was the one who had allowed her to join the Blood Purist Faction in the first place, to give her a chance at gaining a hereditary title and allowing her bloodline to have nobility. Even if he no longer had the power or authority to grant her even the lowest title of nobility, the man was still her friend. She owed it to him to not abandon him after something that was, according to all available evidence, beyond his control or ability to predict.

Upon reaching the door to the office where Jeremiah had been assigned, Villetta detected the faint scent of citrus in the air. The door was an old wooden one with a knob handle. Knocking gently on the door, Villetta waited for a response. " _Come on in_ ," said a slightly tired-sounding voice.

Villetta raised an eyebrow before she opened the door and stepped inside, pausing mid-step as she took in the sight of Jeremiah cleaning the floor around his desk. He had two buckets next to him, one filled with plain water and one filled with soapy water. "What happened?" Villetta asked him curiously. Jeremiah pointed to a smashed orange and a broken carton of orange juice with a note attached to it.

Stepping over to the carton, Villetta picked up the note and read it to herself.

 _Here's your daily dose of Vitamin C, Orange Boy!_

Villetta frowned in disgust. Looking around the office, she saw another unbroken carton of orange juice nearby, along with some oranges that had been placed into a paper bag. "When did this happen? Who did this?" she asked with a frown.

"Don't trouble yourself over it," Jeremiah said tiredly as he finished wiping his floor and threw the hand rag into the bucket of plain water. Villetta opened her mouth to protest, but Jeremiah cut her off. "It won't do either of us any good to retaliate over this, Lieutenant," he said with a sigh of defeat.

There was a weary look in his eyes, as though he had already accepted that this was his lot in life from now on. Villetta felt her heart clench at seeing Jeremiah already accepting defeat so easily, when he had been the one who taught her to fight for what she wanted. "That doesn't make it okay," she finally said.

Jeremiah looked at her with a tired expression on his face. "No, it doesn't. But... there's really nothing we can do. Filing a complaint will only make things worse, and if they catch wind that you're trying to help me, you'll start receiving similar 'gifts' from your fellow Purebloods," Jeremiah said.

"But... after everything you've done for the Empire, for them to treat you like this-" "Is to be expected. Villetta... when I joined the Purebloods, it was an attempt to save face for my failure to protect Empress Marianne," Jeremiah said as he sat on his knees. "I loved her... and I let her die on my watch," he added forlornly. "It was only because of my status as the personal Knight for the Empress that I was able to reach the title of Margrave within the Purist Faction," Jeremiah continued.

"And, at first, I behaved zealously to earn everyone's trust, but... whenever I would look at pictures of Marianne and Nunnally, I would have to ask myself if I had made the right choice. So, I decided to use my position within the Purebloods to try and keep them under control, and of course to give people the opportunities they needed in order to prove themselves," he continued as he looked Villetta in the eyes. "The Purebloods aren't known for accepting commoners into their ranks, Lieutenant, and prior to my appointment as their Margrave, every commoner who applied was turned away. You are among the very few commoner-born members within the organization, and even that is tenuous at the moment, since you have yet to receive a hereditary title," he added.

"I wish I had acted sooner and given one to you, then perhaps you wouldn't need to worry, but... it's unlikely that Kewell is going to promote you," Jeremiah said with a sigh. Villetta's face fell as she absorbed Jeremiah's words. "He always thought that I was too soft for allowing commoners into our ranks, but I ignored him because I knew that it would be the biggest hypocrisy for me to follow that line of thought. After all... I loved a commoner," Jeremiah said with a sad smile on his face.

"I would have followed her to Hell and back had she given me the order," Jeremiah said with a wry smile.

"Jeremiah... do you... do you believe that Princess Nunnally may still be alive?" Villetta asked him hesitantly. Jeremiah looked at her curiously. "I... I heard from Kewell that you've been searching the Area for signs of the exiled children since your arrival," she elaborated.

Jeremiah nodded his head in understanding. "I... I don't really know. Sometimes, thinking that she might be out there waiting to be found is all that keeps me going. Honestly, the hope that they might be alive is all I have left at this point," Jeremiah said with a sigh.

Villetta looked up at the clock on the wall. They had twenty minutes left for lunch. "Well, maybe _you_ have already gotten your lunch for the day, but I'm hungry," Villetta said with a smile as she set down her lunch bag and pulled out its contents. Jeremiah reached into one of his desk drawers and pulled out his own lunch, thankfully untouched, and began to retrieve his food as well.

"We've got twenty minutes," Villetta said.

"That's plenty of time," Jeremiah replied as he began eating his sandwich.

 **Twenty Minutes Later...**

Walking through the corridors, Villetta Nu smiled as she made her way back to her office. Her lunch with Jeremiah, while somewhat somber, was still decent enough. As she reached her office, however, she noticed that the door seemed slightly ajar. Villetta slowed down as she approached the door, remembering that she had closed the door properly when she had left to find Jeremiah.

Villetta glanced around the hallway cautiously before opening the door and stepping into the office. She scanned the room for signs of anything out of place, but nothing seemed to have been touched or moved around in her absence. She then scanned the floor as she cautiously walked over to her desk.

Her eyes widened before narrowing as she saw the orange sitting on her chair. On the monitor to her computer was a large note as well. Grabbing the paper and holding it up for inspection, Villetta quietly read the note to herself.

 _Oranges can be healthy, but too much can be bad for your health, Lieutenant. Good health is important for those who wish to advance in their careers. Just a helpful reminder!_

Villetta's eyes twitched and her lips pulled back into a snarl as she used both hands to rip the paper in half before tearing it further into pieces. " _Assholes_ ," Villetta growled as she picked up the orange and threw it into the trash bin next to her desk.

* * *

 **The Viceroy's Palace, Tokyo Concession, Area 11, Later That Evening...**

Sitting back in his chair while in his personal office, Clovis looked at the most recent E-mail that had been sent to him. It was a confirmation letter regarding a shipment of Sutherlands that was being sent to Area 11 in the next two weeks. Sighing, Clovis ran his hands through his hair as he looked over at his TV, which was displaying a news report on the Orange Incident and the rise of awareness regarding Zero.

"Fucking media," Clovis growled in contempt.

" _And yet the masked figure known as Zero still remains unidentified. Official sources state that the investigation into the incident and this Zero figure is still underway, with more information to come in the future_ ," the female newscaster reported.

"Wonderful," Clovis muttered sarcastically under his breath while rolling his eyes. He then picked up the remote and turned off the TV before returning his attention to his computer screen. "What am I going to do?" he asked himself.

 _This Zero definitely has Geass, which means that C.C. has found a contractor. And yet... neither Uncle Vincent or Father have contacted me to inform me of this. Of course, Father is unaware of my knowledge regarding Geass and Uncle Vincent's identity, so why would he say anything to me anyway? Still, Uncle Vincent could at least inform me, but then again... if I call him without having C.C. in my possession, he'll dispose of me, just like the last poor bastard who disappointed him_ , Clovis thought to himself with a shudder.

 _Doesn't mean_ **he** _can't call_ **me** _, however_ , Clovis silently added. _Okay, Clovis. Let's think about the situation. Zero is definitely C.C.'s contractor, which means she won't be too far away form him... or her. That helmet probably had a voice modulator or something built into it. Only an idiot would let their own voice be heard without modification when standing against the military while also trying to hide their identity_ , Clovis thought to himself.

 _So... if I capture Zero, then C.C. will likely try to save them. She wouldn't dare let another contractor go after that last one. So... in order to capture C.C., I need to also capture Zero, but how do I do that? How?_ Clovis scratched his head in thought before he looked at the E-Mail on his computer monitor.

 _Zero... would likely have used their Geass on members of the military and the police by now in order to gain access to critical and otherwise confidential information. That's only logical. After all, Zero had to have some way of knowing about the Shinjuku Raid in advance in order to pull off that Orange stunt, meaning... Zero also has access to our networks. Even if Zero hasn't compromised any of our personnel, they still have access to our networks_ , Clovis realized.

"Therefore..." he said out loud as an idea began to form in his head. He slowly read the E-Mail on the Sutherlands and checked the scheduled arrival date. "Plenty of time," he said with a smile. _Since Zero is using information on our networks to keep up with us, we have to use that against them! It's like Lelouch would do when playing Chess against me back in the Aries Villa! He would always tell me something about his strategy just so that I would get overconfident and walk into one of his traps! That's what I'll do here! Oh, Lelouch! If only you were still alive, you'd be proud of me for following your example_ , Clovis thought gleefully to himself.

* * *

 **ENDING THEME:** _ **A Kind Of Magic**_ **, by Queen**.

* * *

 **PREVIEW OF NEXT TIME**

In the next chapter of _Two Steps Forward, One Step Backward_ , The Black Knights make their first coordinated strike on a shipment of Knightmares being delivered to a military outpost along the coast of Area 11.

* * *

Author's Notes: And that was Chapter 06! Boy, did it _not_ deserve to take so long to write! Anyway, the Black Knights have now been properly formed by Zero, C.C. has been given a proper introduction to them, and Clovis is trying his hand at plotting things in advance.

I've also finally given Shirley some screen time, along with Nina, both of whom I haven't really had do much since their introductions in Chapter 03. And, of course, Suzaku is back, along with Lloyd and Cecile.

The next chapter will also not be based on any pre-existing canon episodes of Code Geass, which means it will take me at least a week at minimum to write it as well.

And, as some of you may notice, C.C. isn't going to always be aloof and cryptic every time she makes an appearance. There are going to be occasions throughout the story where she is more forthcoming about certain things than she was in canon, and also keep in mind that she has a vengeful streak, as she displayed toward Bartley.

I, Anguirus1955, command you... let me know what you think of the chapter and/or story so far in your reviews!

* * *

 **SPECIAL BONUS OMAKE**

"Hey, are these our new uniforms?" Minami asked as he held several sets of black pants and jackets in his arms. The others quickly made their way over to crate holding the clothing and retrieved the uniforms for see them for themselves.

" **Indeed, they are** ," Zero replied with a nod of his head. " **Ladies and gentlemen, from this night forward, we are no longer just a rag-tag team of resistance fighters. Tonight, we become... the Black Nuggets-I mean** _ **Knights!**_ **We are the Black Knights!** " Zero announced proudly.

"The Black... Knights?" Sugiyama asked Zero.

" **Yes. We are the Black Knights** ," Zero reiterated. " **Our mission is to bring justice to those in need of it. To help the weak, and remind the strong that it is their duty to** _ **protect**_ **the weak rather than conquer them!** " Zero said proudly.

"Wait, I have an idea for a better name!" Tamaki shouted excitedly. Everyone looked at Tamaki oddly. " **Okay, let's hear it** ," Zero said hesitantly.

"Okay. We should call ourselves... the _PIRATE MONKEYS!_ " Tamaki said with a grin. Everyone raised their eyebrows at him. "It... it's an awesome name," he said.

" **Um, o** **kay, that sounds 'nice'. But, how about something a little less...** _ **stupid?**_ " Zero suggested.

"Ooh! Okay, I've got another one!" Tamaki replied eagerly. Ohgi smacked himself in the forehead with the palm of his hand, while Kallen silently shook her head in dismay.

"Okay, the new name should be... _THE RESISTY!_ " Tamaki exclaimed proudly. Everyone blinked at him in confusion and then disgust. "So? What do you guys think? Pretty sweet, right?" Tamaki asked them group. Everyone scowled at him before charging forward and raising their fists to begin pummeling Tamaki into submission, including C.C.

"Resisty is a _stupid name!_ " C.C. shouted as she decked him in the lower jaw.

"I hate your headband!" Kallen exclaimed as she landed a kick on Tamaki's stomach.

" _ **TASTE THE PAIN!**_ " Inoue exclaimed in a gruff masculine voice as she knelt down and punched Tamaki in the gut.

" **Take that, fool!** " Zero exclaimed as he twisted Tamaki's right arm.

Soon, Tamaki was just a limp curled mass of twitching limbs on the ground. "S-Sorry," he groaned out. Everyone nodded their heads in acceptance before moving on to the next order of business.

 _End of Omake_.


	7. The Best Laid Plans

**CODE GEASS: Two Steps Forward, One Step Backward**

By Anguirus1955

Disclaimer: Code Geass is the intellectual property of Studio Sunrise.

Well, here's Chapter 07. In this chapter, the Black Knights officially launch their first coordinated operation against the Brtiannian military by attempting to steal some Sutherlands being delivered to a military outpost along the coast. This episode will feature some of the weapons mentioned in the previous episode being used, along with C.C. acting as Zero-2 with Lelouch as Zero-1 in order to pull off various stunts to confuse the Britannian forces, because that kind of ploy should be obvious. I don't consider it a spoiler, since C.C. often disguised herself as Zero in the canon anime series at various points in order to confuse people.

Although, to be honest, it's always kind of annoyed me how C.C. never took a more active role within the Black Knights, considering the fact that Ohgi's cell _was_ responsible for her being freed from Clovis and Bartley in the first place. Sure, you could argue that she was hiding, but with Bartley in prison and Clovis dead, Project R would likely have been shelved in order to maintain secrecy and so there wouldn't have been any need for C.C. to stay behind and just act mysterious and vague half the damn time.

It's also just occured to me that, because Tamaki was mentioned as being responsible for the Britannians catching on to C.C. being stolen in Canon by not following his orders, this means that _Tamaki_ is indirectly responsible for the birth of Zero in pretty much every iteration of the story that stays true to that part of canon. If anyone needs to go throw up in the bathroom after processing this, I completely understand, although I personally feel that you might be overreacting.

On another note, this chapter is going to be rather long, because a lot of shit goes down in this one.

As with all stories that I write, I listen to music while writing to help myself get into a groove or to help myself capture certain feelings while writing. It can help inspire me sometimes. Music that I listened to while writing this chapter include _Code Geass OST_ 1 - 2 (2006 - 2007) by Kotaro Nakagawa, _Halo: Combat Evolved Original Soundtrack_ (2001) by Martin O'Donnell & Michael Salvatori, _Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary Original Soundtrack_ (2011) by Martin O'Donnell & Michael Salvatori with new recordings by Skywalker Sound, and _Halo 2 Anniversary Original Soundtrack_ (2014) by Martin O'Donnell & Michael Salvatori with new recordings by Skywalker Sound.

Please note that listening to this music while reading the story is _**not**_ a requirement. I simply provide this as a little something extra to help enhance the reading experience, if you the readers so wish to do so. Most of this music can be found and heard on YouTube or any number of anime soundtrack websites.

Sudden and Suspicious Disclaimer: I also advocate the purchasing and obtaining of official soundtracks through legal means.

Music From _Code Geass OST 1 - 2_ (2006 - 2007): _Zero_ , _Strange Girl_ , _Cold Nobility_ , _Invisible Sound_ , _Outside Road_ , _Devil Created_ , _In Justice_ , _First Signature_ , _Occupied Thinking_ , _With You_ , _Baked Words_ , _Last Adolescence_ ,

Music From _Halo: Combat Evolved OST_ (2001): _Under Cover of Night_ , _A Walk In The Woods_.

Music From _Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary OST_ (2011): _Strident_ , _Cloaked In Blackness_ , _Heliopause_ , _Infiltration_ , _Suite Fall_ , _To Step_ , _Arborea Above_.

Music From _Halo 2 Anniversary OST_ (2014): _Not A Number_ , _Trapped In Amber_ , _Steward, Shepherd, Lonely Soul_ , _Moon Over Mombasa Pt. 2_ , _Cryptic Whisper_ , _Spartan's Regret_.

 **Track Order Listing - All After Opening Theme And Before Ending Theme**

 **01**. _Occupied Thinking_ (Lelouch intercepts E-Mails), **02**. _Baked Words_ (Lelouch and Kallen), **03**. _A Walk In The Woods_ (Plan of attack), **04**. _Cloaked In Blackness_ (Black Knights in Kamakura), **05**. _Moon Over Mombasa Pt. 2_ (Knightmare theft), **06**. _Cryptic Whisper_ (Return to laboratory), **07**. _In Justice_ (Masked savior), **08**. _Spartan's Regret_ (Fratricide), **09**. _Last Adolescence_ (Guilty conscience).

 **Music After Ending Theme**

 **10**. _Not A Number_.

* * *

 **OPENING THEME:** _ **Princes Of The Universe**_ **(by Queen)**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 07: The Best Laid Plans...**

* * *

 **Ashford Academy, Wednesday Night, October 04, 2017 ATB**

Sitting at his desk in his room, Lelouch glanced over at the bedroom door before returning his attention to his laptop screen. He was currently scanning through the various files on the Government Borough's network servers to see if anything important was being planned by the Britannians, especially by the Purebloods. So far there hadn't been anything of note, aside from a few E-Mails detailing increases in security at various outposts and government facilities.

Looking at the clock on his wall, Lelouch was getting ready to log out before he noticed a specially marked E-Mail that had been sent to multiple accounts, marked as being forwarded by Clovis la Britannia's personal account, and it was unencrypted to boot. Lelouch raised an eyebrow as he used his packet sniffing software to scan the contents of the E-Mail as a precaution. "Well now, what do we have here?" Lelouch asked himself curiously as he read the E-Mail.

A shipment of Sutherlands was scheduled to be delivered to a port at Sagami Bay, where a military outpost was located on top of what was once the city of Kamakura. Kamakura itself had been utterly demolished following the Invasion of Japan and the establishment of the various settlements and military bases throughout the island chain. Some of Kamakura's structures remained intact, although the majority of the old city had been torn down to make room for the new military outpost and docking port for ships.

Of course, Kamakura, being surrounded by hills to the north, east, and west, Kamakura had once been a natural fortress. It made sense for the Britannians to establish a military base in that location alongside a port for ships to unload supplies. After all, it would be relatively easy to defend such a location, as the tunnels leading through the hills were guarded by security checkpoints, so that no surprise attacks could unfold.

Lelouch looked at the inventory list inside the E-Mail as he took note of how many Sutherlands were being delivered, along with how many energy fillers, Heavy Assault Rifles and other upscaled weapons and ammunition were accompanying them. If he could successfully lead an attack on the outpost following the delivery of the Knightmare Frames, the Black Knights would have an ample supply of munitions and other military gear for their campaign. It was too good of an opportunity to pass up.

Lelouch then noticed that an attachment to the letter by Clovis stated the need for discretion when the Knightmares would be delivered. It also stated a desire for security to be kept modest. Not too low, but not too high, as that would attract attention. Apparently, he didn't want anyone taking notice of the delivery and try stealing the Sutherlands, which were listed as being delivered in factory condition without pilots. _Well, Brother, that's too bad_ , Lelouch thought to himself with a smirk.

After an hour, Lelouch noticed another E-Mail sent through the server from one of the commanding officers of the Kamakura Outpost. Security would be kept at modest levels to ensure a lack of attention from outside eyes and ears when the shipment arrived. _It won't be easy, but I can pull it off_ , Lelouch thought to himself confidently as he brought up a map of Sagami bay on his computer. He opened a document program and started typing in coordinates and notes for the outline of his attack plan, smirking as he started preparing for the delivery of the Sutherlands on Friday evening, October 13th.

* * *

 **Ashford Academy, Thursday Morning, October 05, 2017 ATB**

As Kallen Stadtfeld walked into the front doors of the main campus, she noticed Lelouch standing in a corner of the lobby, gesturing for her to approach him. The halls were fairly empty, as Kallen had arrived rather early, and most of the dorm students were still asleep or just waking up. Once she was close enough, Lelouch glanced around before settling his gaze on Kallen.

"Friday, October 13th. Kamakura Outpost and Port. There's going to be a delivery of Sutherlands and other upscaled Knightmare equipment, including weapons and ammo," Lelouch said quietly. Kallen nodded her head as she listened intently. "Tell Ohgi and the others that we're going to have a meeting tomorrow at the warehouse to plan the strike," Lelouch finished. He heard the faint sound of footsteps in the distance.

"I'll see you at the Student Council Meeting today after classes are over," Lelouch added before walking away, heading back to the clubhouse before he paused and turned around to look at Kallen. "Unless, of course, you'd like to join me and Nunnally for breakfast. I invited Milly as well," Lelouch offered.

Kallen looked around the entrance lobby of the school before shrugging her shoulder in response. "Sure. I guess it couldn't hurt," she said. Lelouch nodded his head with a small smile on his face before he turned around and led the way. As they walked through the halls, Kallen took out her cell phone and began typing a message to Ohgi.

 _Meeting at warehouse tomorrow night. Bring everyone. Explain later_ , Kallen typed into her phone before hitting SEND. She then pocketed the phone and resumed walking alongside Lelouch through the hallway.

"So, what are you-I mean, _we_ , uh, having for breakfast?" Kallen asked Lelouch curiously.

"Oh, just some cereal and milk. I'll probably go grocery shopping tonight with Sayoko to get more eggs and stuff after the Student Council Meeting is over," Lelouch said.

Kallen raised an eyebrow at him. "Hm... so, how exactly did you come to have Miss Shinozaki as a maid?" Kallen asked him curiously.

"Well, she actually used to be Milly's maid, but she handed Sayoko over to Nunnally after we took refuge with the family," Lelouch explained carefully as he glanced around the hallways for signs of other students. Fortunately, it was still early enough that most of the dorm students were likely just waking up, and thus were not out and about.

"She's also the heiress of the Shinozaki family. Have you ever heard of them?" Lelouch asked Kallen. Kallen shook her head in response. "Really? Well, apparently, they're a family of... assassins," Lelouch said with a smirk.

Kallen looked at him strangely. "I'm not making this up," Lelouch said defensively. "Sayoko has enough training that she can easily make someone disappear without a trace, and she always carries a set of throwing knives hidden under her maid outfit. She can be quite lethal if you give her a reason," Lelouch said. Kallen slowly nodded her head in understanding.

"Of course, being the heiress of the Stadtfeld family, I take it you must have servants as well?" Lelouch asked Kallen, causing her to nod her head with a slight hint of discomfort.

"Hm. Would you like me to have Sayoko teach them how to be ninjas?" Lelouch asked jokingly, not noticing the frown on Kallen's lips as a certain maid entered her mind. "I'm just joking, of course. Now, I don't mean to sound odd or anything, but why exactly have you arrived so early in the morning today?" Lelouch asked Kallen curiously.

"I mean, classes don't start for at least another hour," he pointed out. "Trying to make sure you don't have to deal with too much traffic on the way here?" he asked her. Kallen nodded her head in response.

"Oh, um, I can't remember if I've told this to you or not, but... please keep in mind that Milly knows about my history as ex-royalty. Remember, she and I _were_ in an arranged marriage setup at one point. That being said... we really aren't that compatible, now that we've had the time to date each other and figure things out. We're still friends, though," Lelouch said. "Anyway, Milly also knows about Cee-Two," Lelouch said.

Kallen looked at him with wide eyes. "She doesn't know about the Black Knights or our identities as Zero," Lelouch said quickly. "However, she _does_ know about Cee-Two's past as Clovis and Bartley's illegal test subject, as well as my meeting with her in Shinjuku. Cee-Two explained everything to her... well, sort of," Lelouch said, causing Kallen to raise an eyebrow at him.

"She explained the capsule opening after the truck crashed, me getting involved after coming back to school from gambling, and our escape from the ghetto. She left out pretty much everything else, though," Lelouch explained.

"Wait a minute... gambling?" Kallen asked him in disbelief. " _That's_ why you weren't in school that day? You were out _gambling!?_ " Kallen asked him incredulously with a guffaw.

"Um... yeah. It's kind of a bad habit I can't seem to shake," Lelouch admitted with a frown on his face. "Although, it's thanks to that habit that I have the funds to acquire some of the gear needed for the Black Knights," he added. "Although, most of the money goes into an account I have set up for Nunnally so that she won't be without resources upon her graduation from school," he added.

"Although, it doesn't help that my gambling habit also contributed to Milly and I breaking up when we did. I'd prefer to leave the details at that," Lelouch said hurriedly, clearly uncomfortable with the topic and regretting that he had brought it up in the first place.

"Of course, once I graduate, Sayoko will still be with Nunnally, unless the Ashfords recall her to work for Milly again," Lelouch said as they neared the entrance to the clubhouse. Opening the door, Lelouch held it and gestured for Kallen to enter before him.

"Disinherited I may be, but a Prince never forgets his manners," Lelouch quipped as Kallen passed him. Kallen rolled her eyes at him as he let go of the door. "What? I'm just being polite," Lelouch said in his defense.

"I mean, for a girl who is so sick all of the time, certainly this does not offend you?" Lelouch asked with a smirk on his face. Kallen looked at Lelouch in confusion, before the underlying meaning of his words hit home.

" _Oh_. Sure, go right ahead and mock my 'lack of strength', bud," Kallen retorted. "Just remember, if something goes wrong next week and you need someone to pull your ass out of the fire, don't ask _me_ to do it," she said with a sneer. "After all, I'm too ' _meek and sickly_ ' to do something dangerous like that," she added with a grin.

"Touch'e," Lelouch said with a nod of approval. He then walked over to the short hallway that led to the kitchen and allowed Kallen to push it open before walking behind her. He quickly chanced a glance downward before looking back up again as he made his way to her side.

"So... um, out of curiosity, you aren't lactose intolerant, are you?" Lelouch asked Kallen as they neared the kitchen. Kallen raised an eyebrow as she shot Lelouch a curious glance. "I mean, we'll be using regular milk, so I just wanted to make sure that you don't have any problems eating the cereal," he said with a shrug.

"No. I can handle regular milk just fine," Kallen finally said as they reached the doors of the kitchen.

"Good. I think your bones could use the calcium," Lelouch said with a playful grin, stopping in his tracks as he reached forward to grasp the door handles.

Kallen glared at him before returning the grin with one of her own. "Oh, certainly. In fact, after I've strengthened my bones enough, perhaps I shall _display_ that strength to you firsthand?" she offered with a slightly malicious/playful expression on her face, cracking her knuckles to drive the point home.

"It might be a while before _that_ happens," Lelouch fired back with a grin.

"Oh, it might be sooner than you think," Kallen returned. " _Perhaps even tomorrow at a certain warehouse before everyone else shows up_ ," she whispered as Lelouch rolled his eyes with a grin before finally opening the doors to the kitchen and ushering Kallen inside. Closing the door behind him, Lelouch soon noticed that Milly was already sitting at the table with Nunnally and Sayoko, along with... C.C., who had an empty dish plate balanced on the top of her head while she slowly ate her cereal.

"Cee-Two... _why_ do you have that dish plate on your head?" Lelouch asked her. He had only been awake for 90 minutes and he was already exasperated. That had to have been a record for him.

"Because I can," she said nonchalantly before dipping her spoon into the bowl in front of her and scooping out more milk and cereal to place into her mouth, which she chewed with a knowing smirk on her face and a gleam in her eyes.

"Dishes don't belong on people's heads," Lelouch retorted sternly. C.C. ignored him as she continued eating her breakfast.

"Relax, Lelouch," Nunnally said between spoonfuls of her cereal. "It's probably just a fad. I'm sure she'll get over it in time or when the next fad rolls around," she added with a chuckle.

Lelouch shook his head before looking over at Milly, who wore a beleaguered expression on her face. Lelouch sighed and sagged his shoulders in defeat. It was very seldom that he ever saw that expression on Milly's face, at least since they had broken up the previous year, but that expression told him everything he needed to know about his chances of convincing C.C. to put the plate away.

And so, Lelouch pulled out a chair for Kallen and placed a bowl in front of her before grabbing the milk gallon from the fridge and pouring it into her bowl. "Uh, which type of cereal would you like?" Lelouch asked Kallen as he walked over to the cupboard, noticing that there was an opened box of store brand frosted corn flakes already on the table.

"Well, what've ya got?" Kallen asked him in return.

Opening the cupboard, he pulled out the boxes one at a time. "Uh, we've got Sugar Wheats, Fruity Rings, Admiral Crunch Berry, an unopened box of frosted corn flakes, and Mini Toast Crunchies," Lelouch said. Kallen scratched the underside of her chin in thought.

"Um... I'll go with the Fruity Rings," she said. Lelouch nodded his head and pulled the box out before walking over to the table.

"Tell me when to stop," he said with a smile as he began pouring the cereal into her bowl. Kallen shook her head at him humorously.

"I may not be the strongest person here, but I'm not _that weak_ ," Kallen said in mock protest.

"Why, Miss Stadtfeld, I'm just being a proper host," Lelouch replied in mock offense.

Watching the two of them tease each other, C.C. felt a sense of de ja vu. She had seen this behavior before. It was back when Marianne had first met Charles, before they had ever started courting, but the similarities between father and son were obvious to her. _Like Father, like son_ , C.C. thought to herself as she ate her cereal.

* * *

 **Ohgi's Warehouse, Area 11, Friday Evening, October 06, 2017 ATB**

Inside the warehouse, in a corner near the first floor office, a large sheet of white paper had been spread out across a wall and taped down. Meanwhile, a large projector was connected to a computer on a cart, which had a long ethernet cable connected to a router in the manager's office. All of the windows had been covered in the warehouse, and the doors closed. Managing the projector and the laptop connected to it was C.C., wearing her Zero-2 outfit but with the helmet off.

A large map of the Kamakura Military Outpost was being projected onto the white sheet of paper taped to the wall. Sitting on crates and stools, the Black Knights, now wearing their new uniforms, listened as Zero laid out the plan of attack while using a small metal pole as a pointer stick, along with markers to highlight certain locations. Even Tamaki was able to keep his mouth shut as he listened to Zero speak.

" **The dock itself is divided into three main piers with space for two ships between each one, as the outpost itself is spread out around much of the port** ," Zero said. " **However, even though much of the old Kamakura City has been demolished, there are still numerous structures intact near the hills** ," he added as he pointed to the top part of the map. " **We can use these structures to hide ourselves until we are ready to launch our attack** ," he stated. " **They can also be used as cover in case we get spotted. Because we won't be taking any Knightmares with us, it should be easy for us to hide in the various abandoned buildings surrounding the outpost until we are ready to strike** ," Zero added.

" **Now, because we don't know which pier is being used for the delivery, we will have to wait until the ship is docked before we can begin moving in. Just as well, it is in our best interest to wait until the delivery vessel has departed before taking any action, as it will most likely have defensive gun placements. Those will rip us to shreds if they open fire on us and quickly put an end the Black Knights and Zero** ," he added. Everyone nodded their heads in understanding.

" **Now, according to my research, the Enoshima Electric Railway Line has been left intact, which is likely where the Knightmares will be taken for transportation to the military bases closer to the Tokyo Concession. The railway runs through Kamakura and much of the surrounding hills, being connected to a newly established rail line built by the Britannians shortly after the Invasion** ," Zero said before pausing for breath. " **Our best bet is to abscond with the Knightmares as they are being loaded onto the train, allowing us to take them and even damage the rails to allow a disruption of supply lines between Kamakura and the rest of the Area's military bases** ," Zero continued.

" **Alternatively, we could wait for the Knightmares to be loaded and then hijack the train, allowing us to make off with the Sutherlands and their equipment after leaving the Kamakura region without the rest of the outpost's personnel being able to do anything until we're out of their range** ," Zero said thoughtfully.

"Um, how many Knightmares are being off-loaded again?" Tamaki asked as he raised a hand into the air.

" **About two dozen Sutherlands** ," Zero replied. Tamaki's eyes widened at the number. "T-Two dozen!? Damn, are we even gonna be able to take 'em all?" Tamaki asked curiously.

" **Probably not, but we** _ **should**_ **be able to take at least nine of them and sabotage the others to prevent their usage by the Britannians** ," Zero replied confidently. " **At** _ **minimum**_ **, we need to capture at least** _ **five**_ **Knightmares in order to bolster our combat effectiveness in the future** ," Zero added. " **We'll also need to take as many energy fillers and guns as the Knightmares can hold in their arms** ," he said as he looked around at the Black Knights.

" **At least one gun per Knightmare and two spare magazines of ammunition per gun, making three mags per weapon total, as well as two spare energy fillers per Knightmare** ," Zero said. " **That is our intended goal. We will have our best sharpshooters take out guards from long range with our new sniper rifles, while the rest of us move in to intercept the train and Knightmares being loaded onto it after the transport ship leaves** ," Zero stated firmly.

"That's at least fifteen magazines for each weapon type at minimum, and at least ten energy fillers, not counting the ones already inside the Knightmares," Tamaki said thoughtfully. "But how do we know they won't be heavily guarded inside the trains? Better yet, how do we know they won't have tracking devices on them?" Tamaki asked out loud. "I mean, after Shinjuku, it would make sense for the Brits to put tracking devices on their Knightmares so that they can find them if they get stolen, right?" he asked as he looked around.

Inside his helmet, Lelouch's jaw dropped at Tamaki's display of intelligence. " **W-Well... we'll check them for tracking devices on the train and after we remove any that we find, we'll make off with our bounty** ," Zero said, hiding his amazement.

"Wait," Kallen said as she raised a hand.

" **Yes, Q-One?** " Zero asked her.

"Um, if our primary goal is to steal the Knightmares, are we going to do that before the train starts moving, or do we sneak onto the train and then wait for it to stop somewhere before we take the goods with us?" Kallen asked curiously.

" **I will use my Geass on whoever is operating the train to make them stop at a designated location far enough away from any Britannian military bases or the Tokyo Concession that we can leave with the Knightmares and their supplies before they resume course** ," Zero replied.

"Soooooo... we're gonna sneak onto the train and wait for it to leave the outpost?" Kallen asked him.

" **Yes. Well,** _ **if**_ **the Knightmares are being transported by train. If they are to be transported by some other means, then we'll have to follow them and then intercept the transports at the earliest convenience, before they can reach their original destination** ," Zero said.

"So, no blowing up anything?" Kallen asked with a hint of disappointment in her voice.

" **Not unless we find it necessary to do so. In this instance, making off with the Knightmares without the Britannians knowing about it until the next day would be a very excellent way of building up a reputation for ourselves as being efficient and unnoticeable until it's too late** ," Zero said confidently.

"Does that mean this is gonna be some kind of stealth mission?" Tamaki asked Zero curiously.

" **Well...** _ **yes**_ ," Zero replied with a curt nod of his head.

"Um... in that case, should we change our names to the Black Ninja or something?" Minami asked curiously.

" **Um, no. It's still the Black Knights. Open warfare is inevitable in our campaign against Britannia, but we must also master the art of stealth if we are to obtain resources from the enemy without them realizing it. If we go in guns blazing, we will be torn to pieces by the base's defenses. So, for this mission, we must use stealth and acquire the Sutherlands and their equipment with the enemy being none the wiser** ," Zero said.

" **Also, with the enemy not noticing our presence, we can safely take the Knightmares to a remote location to search for tracking devices more thoroughly than on the train before returning to our HQ** ," Zero said.

A thoughtful expression crossed Tamaki's face as he processed Zero's words. "Yeah. Okay, that sounds good," he said, nodding his head with a smile. "Count me in," he said enthusiastically. "Oh, by the way, um, after this mission is over, will you finally show the rest of us your face?" Tamaki asked curiously.

Ohgi sighed and quietly shook his head in dismay while the others all looked between Tamaki and Zero anxiously. Zero stared at Tamaki before glancing around the room at the rest of the Black Knights sitting nearby. He knew that Kallen and Ohgi were okay with him, having had plenty of time to accept his identity, but even with Tamaki's recent showing of brain power, could he trust the man to keep his mouth shut and not blab to everyone?

" **If this mission is successful... then I will reveal myself to those of you who partake in this operation** ," Zero said carefully. _I can't leave them in the dark for too long. What if Ohgi or Kallen get killed at some point? Then who will vouch for me when the others question my motivation for helping them? What if they all turn on me after finding out my identity through some other means? Even though Tamaki is a bit of a risk... if he proves himself trustworthy, I really can't see a reason to withhold my true identity from him for much longer_ , Lelouch thought to himself.

 _Better to tell them myself after risking our lives together than to have them find out some other way and misunderstand everything_ , Lelouch told himself.

" **Now, with that out of the way, we need to establish proper rally points to fall back and advance toward, as well as a rendezvous point after the mission has been completed** ," Lelouch said as he turned to look at the map. The rest of the evening went quickly as roles were assigned to each person in the room.

* * *

 **Kamakura Outpost and Port, Area 11, Friday Evening, October 13, 2017 ATB**

Crouching by a tree up in the hills, Kento Sugiyama looked through the scope of his M99 Sniper Rifle. He could see numerous guards patrolling walkways inside the fences surrounding the main complex of the outpost. The outpost itself was a series of large buildings surrounded by fencing and watch towers. It ran the length of the newly constructed port where Britannian Navy vessels would dock to unload supplies. Numerous warehouses were situated near the docks, along with an armory and a Knightmare hangar.

A handful of Sutherlands could be seen spread out through the outpost. Their lights were on, but they were staying in one place each, slowly turning back and forth as they scanned the perimeter for enemies. The Sutherlands weren't even Pureblood types, instead bearing the regular colors of standard defense units, being dark forest green in color with olive drab highlights in places. Even with those security Knightmares in place, the amount of security on display at the outpost was nothing that would considered out of the ordinary, and therefore nothing to suggest that the Britannians were actually expecting any trouble.

" _ **P-Three, this is Zero. Report**_ ," Zero requested over the radio. "This is P-Three. Guards are patrolling the perimeter as expected, and aside from a few Sutherlands scanning the perimeter, it looks pretty modest. Not a lot of activity otherwise, despite the ship pulling in at Pier Two," Sugiyama reported. " _ **Understood. Zero-Two is scanning as well. Remember, do not open fire unless I give the signal**_ ," Zero replied over the radio.

"Affirmative," Sugiyama replied with a curt nod of his head.

Meanwhile, several hundred meters away and further inside the abandoned city, Lelouch and C.C. were hiding in a dilapidated shack as C.C. looked through the scope of her sniper rifle to see who was at the docks. She saw several Britannian Marines from the ship standing guard near the ramps where the ship's commanding officer was speaking with... Prince Clovis. A feeling of rage began to well up inside of C.C. as she kept her eyes glued to the scope.

"He's here," she muttered to Lelouch. Lelouch glanced at her with a raised eyebrow.

"He? Who's he? Don't play the pronoun game with me, Cee-Two," Lelouch demanded.

" _Clovis_ ," C.C. clarified, causing Lelouch to widen his eyes. "Prince Clovis is at the dock. He's speaking with the ship's captain about something," she elaborated. The desire for vengeance grew stronger with every passing second.

 _Clovis is here? Is that why he wanted only modest security? To avoid tipping anyone off that he would be outside of the Concession? That's a very risky move,_ Lelouch thought to himself. _But why would he come out here in the first place? Why would he risk his safety by leaving the Concession? Something doesn't add up here_ , Lelouch thought in confusion.

"Can you figure out what they're saying?" Lelouch asked C.C.

"Negative. I can't read lips very well, sadly. Lelouch, can I take him out?" C.C. asked him.

Lelouch thought about her request for a minute, before frowning and shaking his head. "No. Have the Knightmares been off-loaded yet?" he asked her in response.

"Lelouch, I have him in my sights. Just one bullet and he goes down," C.C. retorted. Lelouch frowned further at her. Clovis's appearance was an unexpected variable, but the primary objective was the capture of the Knightmare units. Taking out Clovis could wait for another time.

"I said _no_ , Cee-Two. Now, can you tell me if the Knightmares have been off-loaded yet?" he asked asked her with a stern voice.

C.C. frowned in response but began scanning the outpost anyway. "Yes. They're moving them off the ship right now. I count twelve loaded into those oversized pallets and trucks," C.C. replied, seeing the flatbed transports with cables holding the Sutherlands in place as they drove away from the pier and through the wide roads of the outpost before reaching the main gate near the railway.

"They're already taking them through the outpost, apparently heading for the train. The rest of the Sutherlands are being off-loaded and are close behind," C.C. reported. Lelouch nodded his head as C.C. spoke. He looked through his binoculars to view them for himself.

Lelouch then picked up the radio. "Q-One, this is Zero. Do you copy?" Lelouch asked. " _This is Q-One. P-Five and I are in position and waiting for the signal, over._ " Lelouch nodded his head as Kallen spoke. "Affirmative. Stand by," Lelouch said.

"K-Two, this is Zero, do you copy?" Lelouch asked into the radio. " _This is K-Two. I am in position and waiting for the signal. Over_ ," Ohgi replied over the radio.

"P-Four, this is Zero. Do you copy?" Lelouch asked over the radio. " _This is P-Four. P-One and I are in position and awaiting orders. Over_ ," Minami replied over the radio.

"Affirmative. All units stand by and wait for further orders," Lelouch said into the radio. "Cee-Two, give me a report on the ship and its crew. Are they preparing to leave yet?" Lelouch asked the green-haired immortal woman next to him. He was busy following the Sutherlands as they were transported through the outpost.

C.C. scanned the dock again with her rifle. Clovis was walking away from the ship as the Captain and the Marines ascended the ramp. "They're returning to the ship, but it hasn't left yet," she reported.

"What about Clovis? What's he doing right now?" Lelouch asked her as he kept his gaze on the Sutherlands being moved through the outpost.

"He's getting into a jeep with some armed guards," C.C. reported as she watched said jeep begin backing up before making a K-Turn and driving off down the pier and onto a small road before heading toward the train station. "They're heading to the train station," C.C. reported as she saw the jeep disappear from view behind a series of ruined buildings for a minute. It then reappeared and remained on the path that led to the train station.

 _Clovis is overseeing the transport of the Knightmares personally? He must have a vested interest in this delivery_ , Lelouch thought to himself. He then used his binoculars to look at the transport ship, seeing it preparing to leave. "Attention all units. The transport ship is preparing to leave. Remain on stand-by until it has left the bay," Lelouch said over the radio as he watched the ship slowly pull away from the docks.

It wasn't a very large ship, but its defensive guns, while few in number, were still powerful enough to blow a Knightmare to smithereens with one or two shots. Lelouch had no desire to have those guns firing on him and the rest of the Black Knights if he could avoid it. The entire operation and his revolution in general would be over the moment those guns opened fire.

"The Sutherlands have reached the train station," C.C. reported a few minutes later as she angled her rifle to keep the scope focused on the target. "The jeep has arrived and Clovis is entering the station with his guards," C.C. said, watching as a blond-haired man stepped out of the vehicle and made his way into the station, his guards flanking him.

"What about the Knightmares?" Lelouch asked her.

"They're being taken to a series of open cars with some ramps and special equipment standing by," C.C. reported.

"They're not having any pilots move them into the trains? They're doing manual loading?" Lelouch asked her curiously, forcing himself to keep his gaze on the Navy ship as it sailed further and further away from the port.

"That's how it looks," C.C. replied. Lelouch nodded his head in response, finally looking at C.C. after seeing that the Navy ship was far enough away for comfort.

"P-Three, maintain your current position. All other units, advance to Rally Point Alpha. Do not open fire unless fired upon," Lelouch said into the radio before putting his helmet back on and grabbing the G3A3 Battle Rifle leaning against the window frame. " **Show time** ," he said as he stood up and prepared to exit the shack. " **Zero-Two? Remain here and provide cover fire if requested. I trust you can stay focused on the primary objective** ," Lelouch said before carefully stepping outside and disappearing into the darkness.

 **A Few Minutes Later...**

After sleuthfully making his way through the abandoned city of Kamakura, Lelouch leaned himself against the wall of a dilapidated building. He held up his binoculars and looked out at the train station, where the last three Sutherlands were being loaded into the waiting train cars for transport elsewhere. Looking around the area, he soon noticed Kallen and Tamaki hiding behind a part of the station as Kallen knocked out a guard with her hands.

Lowering his binoculars, Lelouch carefully scanned his immediate surroundings before darting forward to slip into an alley between two other structures, carefully emerging near the train station and the rails. He counted five guards patrolling far apart from each other, with one of them making his way toward him. Smiling inside his helmet, Lelouch slid the eye cover open and waited for the guard's footsteps to get closer.

As soon as the guard passed the alley, Lelouch stepped out and immediately activated his Geass. " **Obey all orders I give to you, regardless of whether or not you can see me. Confirm this in a quiet manner** ," Lelouch said through his helmet. The guard saluted him with a smile as his eyes glowed red. " _Yes sir_ ," the guard whispered dutifully. Lelouch smiled inside his helmet as he began giving the guard his next set of instructions.

 **With Kallen and Tamaki...**

Leaning back against the wall of the main building, Kallen carefully peered out as she saw several guards gathered nearby. They were huddled together before one of them pulled out a radio. After saying something, the guards began moving away from the station, jogging over to the ruins of the city around them.

 _Shit, did they see one of us? Do we abort the mission? No, we're too close to the objective to turn back now! But... wait a minute_ , Kallen thought as she saw Zero step into her line of sight. He looked over in her direction and motioned for her and Tamaki to step forward. Glancing around, Kallen saw that the coast was clear before she urged Tamaki to follow her.

As soon as they reached their leader, Kallen saw Ohgi and the others arrive as well. " **I Geassed one of the guards to lead the others on a false trail. Let's get started before they return** ," Zero said as he urged the others to make their way to the open train cars, where the loading equipment was being moved away.

The Knightmares had been stored in a manner similar to the ones hijacked in Shinjuku, along with their guns, ammo, and spare energy fillers. " **All of you get to work on locating any tracking devices and removing them. I'm going to find out the main destination for the train and then make sure that the operators stop the train at a convenient location** ," Zero said before darting off and leaving the rest of the Black Knights to begin searching the Knightmares for tracking devices.

As he made his way to the front car, Lelouch couldn't help but feel that something was off. He gripped his battle rifle tightly as he scanned his surroundings while still moving forward. He had a feeling in his gut that something wasn't right. Perhaps it was Clovis's presence that caused this upset in his plans, or maybe it was the fact that C.C. hadn't completely gotten her need for revenge out of her system when she had killed Bartley.

Lelouch was tempted to radio C.C. and make sure that she was still where he had left her, but he didn't want to make too much noise either. He was almost upon the front train car when he heard a faint gunshot in the distance, back toward the port. Lelouch turned around and listened as another shot rang out. All of the Black Knights, save Sugiyama and C.C., were accounted for, weren't they?

" **P-Three, this is Zero. Please report** ," Lelouch demanded over the radio. " _This is P-Three. I'm still waiting for instructions. Those gunshots didn't come from me_ ," Sugiyama reported.

" **Affirmative. P-Three, I want you to make your way to Rally Point Gamma. Await further instructions. If you do not hear from me or anyone else after one hour, make your way to the designated rendezvous point. If we do not arrive after two hours, abandon the mission** ," Lelouch said firmly.

" _Understood. I'll keep as quiet as possible. P-Three out_ ," Sugiyama replied over the radio.

" **Zero-Two, please respond, over** ," Lelouch then said into the radio. He was greeted with silence. " **Zero-Two, please** _ **respond**_ **, over** ," Lelouch repeated. Again, there as no response as a few more gunshots rang out in the distance.

 _Shit! She must've decided to go after Clovis_ , Lelouch realized. _But... Clovis is here at the station. I mean, she saw him leave the jeep and walk inside, right?_ The bad feeling in Lelouch's gut only began to grow as he hurriedly made his way to the doors of the front car, swiftly pulling them open and scanning the narrow walking spaces for signs of trouble.

Upon reaching the doors to the front cabin, Lelouch saw the conductor sitting in a chair with a porn magazine in his hands. Lelouch opened the slot in his helmet again and gently rapped his gloved knuckles against the doors, prompting the conductor to hide his magazine before standing up and walking over to the door. Lelouch stood to the side as much as possible before the conductor opened the door.

"Hello? Who-" the conductor was cut off as Lelouch stepped in front of him and activated his Geass. " **Follow all instructions I give to you without question** ," Lelouch said through his helmet. The conductor smiled at him in response. "Of course," he said in compliance, his eyes glowing a faint red.

Lelouch then heard his radio come to life. " _Zero-One. This is Zero-Two. I had to deal with a stray patrol unit that found me. They're taken care of now. I'm making my way to the station right now but don't worry about waiting. I'll be able to reach the rendezvous point on my own_ ," C.C. said over the radio.

" **Understood, Zero-Two. Hide yourself in one of the back cars of the train if possible. I want you to contact me via radio in about thirty minutes or the moment you get onboard. Is that understood?** " Lelouch asked into the radio. " _Understood. Zero-Two, out_ ," C.C. replied over the radio. _Well, that was a close one. And I was beginning to think this operation was almost too easy_ , Lelouch thought to himself, his fears now assuaged.

 **Back With The Other Black Knights, 10 Minutes Later...**

Inside the train cars holding the Sutherlands, the Black Knights finished sweeping for tracking devices inside and out before closing the train doors and climbing into their new machines. The default activation codes and access keys were all taped to the front of the main Factsphere monitors. Quickly grabbing the keys and inserting them into the main consoles, six Sutherlands were quickly booted up as the Black Knights entered their default activation codes.

A few minutes later, the train began to move. " _ **Attention Black Knights, we are now moving on schedule**_ ," Zero said over the radios. " _ **P-Three is on their way to Rally Point Gamma as I speak and Zero-Two is approaching our position. Zero-Two will hitch a ride on one of the back cars**_ ," Zero explained.

"Understood," Ohgi said into the radio as he maneuvered his new Sutherland to carefully scoop up the energy fillers and ammo boxes for the Heavy Assault Rifles. "We've found no tracking devices so far, but we'll check again at the rendezvous point," Ohgi added. "K-Two out."

Looking around, Ohgi saw that the other hijacked Sutherlands were also gathering their supplies as well. If they managed to pull this off, they'd have plenty of resources for their next mission, whenever or whatever that would be. _We finally stand a chance_ , Ohgi thought to himself with a smile as he reclined in the pilot seat of his new Sutherland.

* * *

 **Rally Point Delta, Twenty Minutes Later...**

As the train slowed down to a stop near an open valley with a series of back roads that would lead to the ghettos, the doors of the train car holding the hijacked Sutherlands slid open and six large machines hopped out. They landed on the grass and dirt with thuds, their weight pressing down into the soil before the machines righted themselves and activated their landspinners to move a safe distance away from the train.

Bringing their machines to a halt in a clearing not too far, the Sutherlands remained idle as their pilots waited for their leader to exit the train. However, as they watched Zero exit the front train car while holding his battle rifle, Tamaki noticed something unusual about the train. " _Hey, guys?_ " Tamaki asked over the com system of the Sutherlands.

" _Yeah?_ " Ohgi asked him over the com.

" _Does the train seem a bit, I dunno, shorter than it should be?_ " Tamaki asked curiously.

Everyone focused their Knightmares' sensory equipment on the train as they slowly looked over it, before realizing that the back three cars were missing. As Zero walked over to the Sutherlands, his radio came to life. " _Zero, look at the train! Some of the cars are missing_ ," Ohgi reported.

Zero turned around and looked over at the cars. He quickly ran over to the farthest one and hopped onto it, opening a door before rushing inside to look for C.C. " **Cee-Two! Cee-Two, where are you!?** " Lelouch asked through his helmet as he searched every inch of the car, his battle rifle raised and ready for trouble. The feeling in his gut from earlier returned in full force.

Lelouch quickly picked up his radio. " **Zero-Two, please respond! Zero-Two, please respond!** " Lelouch ordered into the radio. " _Z-Zero? Look, now is not a good time. The rear train cars weren't connected to the others and now I'm stuck here in Kamakura. I'll try to find my own way!_ " C.C. replied painfully.

" **Cee-Two!? What's wrong? Speak to me,** " Lelouch asked with concern. " _I got hit with a tranquilizer almost twenty minutes ago! They know I'm here and they're trying to take me alive_ ," she responded. Realization soon hit Lelouch in full force.

 _That's why everything was so easy! It's why Clovis was there personally! Why those E-mails weren't properly encrypted! Clovis wasn't being incompetent; he was luring us into a trap! He used the Sutherlands as bait_ , Lelouch deduced. _His goal this entire time was to capture me_ , Lelouch realized. _And he almost succeeded. He probably expected me to go after him after discovering his presence. The Sutherlands were a guaranteed lure, but he was using himself as the real prize. I have to admit, with C.C.'s capture, he technically succeeded_ , Lelouch thought bitterly.

" **Zero-Two, just hold on! I'll find a way back to get you! Just stay hidden** ," Lelouch barked into the radio.

" _Don't worry about me! I'll find my-my own way out of here. You don't live over five hundred years without learning to escape from danger_ ," C.C. said over the radio. Then the radio went silent.

" **Cee-Two? Cee-Two!?** " Lelouch cried out in panic. _Shit! Shit! Shit!_ Rushing out of the train, Lelouch picked up his radio again as he slung his battle rifle over his shoulder thanks to a large strap on it. " **P-Three, this is Zero-One. We have secured the Knightmares and their supplies at Rally Point Delta, but Zero-Two is Missing In Action. I say again, Zero-Two is Missing In Action, over** ," Lelouch said through his helmet into the radio.

" _Understood. I'm at Rally Point Gamma, over_ ," Sugiyama replied. " **Affirmative. I'm going to have the others check the Sutherlands for tracking devices. I want you to make your way here to Rally Point Delta. Once you arrive, I'll take the car and head back to Kamakura to find Zero-Two. You'll join the others in heading to the rendezvous point and wait for my return** ," Lelouch said.

" _Affirmative. I'm on my way. P-Three out_ ," Sugiyama replied over the radio. Lelouch sighed and turned around to watch the train begin to move again.

" **Attention, Black Knights! Zero-Two is missing. She last reported being pursued by Britannian forces at the station in Kamakura. Therefore, I am going back to retrieve her after P-Three arrives with the van** ," Lelouch said over the radio.

A few minutes later, after the train was back on its normal course, a less-than-stellar gray jeep could be seen in the distance, driving along a back road before speeding over the train tracks and coming to a halt near the Sutherlands. It was a beat-up old jeep, but it had plenty of room for guns and other supplies inside.

As Sugiyama stepped out of the vehicle, Lelouch marched over to him, until one of the Sutherlands opened its cockpit. Lelouch saw Kallen climb down and rush over. " **Q-One, what are you doing?** " Lelouch asked her.

"I'm coming with you. If she's been captured, then they'll find out who she is under the suit," Kallen said with a frown. "And then Clovis will find out, and he'll have her experimented on again," she added.

" **Q-One, I appreciate your concern, but the primary objective here is to ensure that those Sutherlands are checked and then taken back to our hideouts** ," Lelouch replied.

"P-Three can operate a Sutherland just fine. You're going to need some backup," Kallen reiterated firmly. Inside his helmet, Lelouch frowned.

" **Clovis is there, Q-One. If he sees you, then he'll issue an area-wide hunt for anyone matching your description. My face is fully covered. It's best if I do this alone** ," Lelouch retorted, pointing out Kallen's red hair, as the hats and visors worn by the Black Knights were not the most... concealing of identities.

Kallen's eyes widened before narrowing again. "If Clovis is there, then he'll be the one to unmask Cee-Two. And when that happens... I think know where he might take her," Kallen said, remembering the lab that they had stolen the canister from back in August. "Back in August, when we stole the canister, we made copies of the documents regarding its transfer so that we could show those to the world as proof of Britannia's intentions. We should still have those copies in the jeep somewhere," she said.

" **Wait, did you guys use this jeep during that incident?** " Lelouch asked her.

"Yes, but it's been repainted since then and we've changed the license plate," Kallen replied. "No one will recognize it," she added reassuringly. "We know where they were planning to take Cee-Two's canister," Kallen stated.

" **Then I can just turn on the GPS on my phone to take me there** ," Lelouch said.

"Do you know how to drive a jeep?" Kallen asked him. Lelouch opened his mouth to respond, only to close it when he realized that, _no_ , he _didn't_ know how to drive a jeep. He could pilot a Knightmare Frame without any problem, but a steering wheel and pedals? That was _beyond_ his knowledge or skill set, unfortunately.

" **Very well. I suppose having some backup would be useful in this endeavor** ," Lelouch finally relented. Meanwhile, he finally noticed that Sugiyama had remained in place the whole time watching the exchange. " **P-Three, I want you to take Q-One's Sutherland and perform a thorough inspection for tracking devices. I'm going to place K-Two in charge until I return, and you are to follow any and all orders that he gives to you** ," Lelouch said.

Sugiyama nodded his head. "Affirmative. K-Two is in charge until you return," Sugiyama said. Kallen then handed him the keys to the Knightmare. "Thanks," he said to her before tossing the jeep's keys her way and jogging over to the Sutherland in the distance.

Lelouch then picked up his radio. " **K-Two, this is Zero. I am leaving with Q-One to intercept Zero-Two's captors, as it is likely that Clovis has procured her, thinking that she is me. You are in charge until I return. Please make sure that everybody reaches the rendezvous point after checking for tracking devices. Zero-One out** ," Lelouch said before making his way over to the jeep and getting into the passenger seat. He immediately began opening the glove compartment to begin pulling out various folded and rolled up documents that were inside.

As the driver's side door closed, Lelouch looked up at Kallen. " **Which ones am I looking for here?** " he asked her. "The ones marked for August. We haven't pulled any major stunts since then," Kallen said as she turned on the ignition and took the jeep out of park. "Get your phone's GPS ready and plug in those coordinates," she said to him.

Lelouch nodded his head as he took out his phone and began searching the documents labeled for August. "Come on, come on! Where are- _found you!_ " Lelouch hissed excitedly. He then began putting the address into his phone's GPS.

* * *

 **Back At The Train Station...**

C.C. staggered forward as she tried to hide behind a pillar inside the lobby. The tranquilizer that had hit her some thirty minutes earlier was starting to take effect. Struggling to stay awake, she peeked around the pillar and saw at least a dozen armed Britannian soldiers huddled together near what looked like Prince Clovis. They were all wearing closed helmets for some reason.

When C.C. had first jumped onto the rear train car, she had reported to Lelouch that she was onboard. However, as the minutes passed by, she had begun to notice that the train car wasn't moving. She had soon realized that all three of the rear cars remained completely still, and after entering the third car, the Britannians had surrounded her, forcing her into a game of cat and mouse as she tried to make her way out of the ruins of Kamakura, only to discover that the train station had been completely surrounded. The moment she had bolted from the train car, she had been hit with a tranquilizer dart.

Now, some 30 or so minutes later, she was starting to suspect that the ease with which the plan had gone off was not a result of incompetence by the Britannians. Reaching down for her pistol, C.C. began to resign herself to the probability that she was going to be captured or killed. Granted, being immortal meant that if they killed her, she would simply resurrect later on, but with Clovis in her sights, at least she could get her revenge.

However, she soon heard a noise on the floor near her and saw a small object rolling around. It took her a few seconds to realize that it was a gas grenade, which quickly went off. The other Britannian soldiers assumed a defensive stance around the blond man in the lobby with them, as C.C. staggered out of the smoke. _Lelouch needs to install air filters in these helmets_ , C.C. thought to herself as she dropped her pistol and her vision became blurry.

Her legs felt like lead, and her arms became sluggish in their movements. She saw the soldiers raising their rifles to take aim at her, only for a familiar voice to cut across the room. " _Hold your fire, gentlemen! We want Zero alive!_ " Clovis's muffled voice called out... from _behind_ C.C.

Sluggishly turning around, C.C. saw Clovis walking through the gas cloud while wearing a gas mask, accompanied by several soldiers maintaining a protective formation around him. But if Clovis was right there, then who was over on the other side of the lobby? That's when it hit C.C.

The other Clovis was a decoy, and she had fallen for his trap in her quest for revenge. " _What's wrong, Zero? Cat got your tongue?_ " Clovis asked her. C.C. struggled to move before the sedative from the tranquilizer fully kicked in and she fell to a heap on the floor. The soldiers began moving forward, only for Clovis to motion them to stay back.

" _Wait a minute or two, just to be safe_ ," Clovis warned them as he kept his gaze on Zero's still form. _Phase One successful, at least so far_ , Clovis thought to himself proudly. _Oh, Lelouch, if only you were alive to see this! You'd be so proud of me for how I used your own strategies against my enemies_ , Clovis thought to himself.

After waiting a few minutes, he tentatively stepped forward and reached for Zero's helmet. Feeling around the hard plastic of the helmet, Clovis eventually found a small button near the neck. Pressing it, he watched as the helmet collapsed and folded on itself to reveal a mane of lime-green hair. Lifting the mask up, Clovis's jaw dropped as he gazed upon the unconscious form of C.C.

"Well, I'll be damned," Clovis said in amazement. Then he narrowed his eyes in confusion. _C.C. was Zero the whole time? But what about Zero's Geass? C.C. has a code of immortality, meaning she CAN'T have Geass, which means that the real Zero... is still out there_ , Clovis realized. _But then... with C.C. captured, the REAL Zero will likely try to rescue her. I can kill two birds with one stone_ , Clovis thought to himself.

"Gentlemen, I want Zero taken to Special Research Lab Delta-Five," Clovis said authoritatively as he looked around the lobby. The soldiers all nodded their heads in understanding. "Under no circumstances can Zero's capture be announced without my express permission. We do not know for certain if this is the real Zero or merely a decoy, so it is in our best interest to keep this to ourselves for the time being," Clovis elaborated.

" _Your Highness, what about the Sutherlands?_ " one of the soldiers asked him. Clovis shrugged his shoulders.

"A necessary sacrifice. Besides, their loss is negligible in the grand scheme of things. Those terrorists may have gotten a hold of those units, but they will only have the ammo and energy fillers that came with them, nothing more," Clovis said confidently. "After they use them up in a few attacks, they'll have to try another theft attempt to keep themselves supplied properly, and we'll be ready then as well," he added with a smirk.

* * *

 **Project R Secondary Facility aka "Special Research Lab Delta-Five", Just Outside The Tokyo Concession, One Hour Later...**

Walking alongside a gurney with C.C. strapped down to it, still in her Zero outfit, Clovis allowed himself to smile. His plan had worked far better than he had anticipated. Granted, the real Zero was still at large, but Clovis knew that they would attempt to rescue C.C. eventually, as V.V. had told him that a bond was formed between contractors and contractees, allowing them to sometimes feel the other's presence from certain distances, or to sense when they're in danger.

Even if the real Zero had no information regarding C.C.'s current location, that bond would allow them to eventually home in on her. It was really only a matter of time, and then he would be able to capture and kill Zero, putting an end to the annoying resistance caused by the Elevens. Yes, things were looking quite bright for Clovis as he made his way to a private room, with the two security guards wheeling C.C.'s gurney into the room before leaving at Clovis's request. One of them handed a pistol to Clovis before exiting the room, insisting that he be properly protected in their momentary absence.

Clovis accepted the gun and shooed the guards out of the room before locking the doors. He then made his way over to a large TV screen hooked up to a computer nearby and initiated a conference call. After a few minutes, the white hair and violet eyes of Vincent vi Britannia were on the screen. Clovis smiled rather smugly at his diminutive uncle.

" _Hello, Clovis. I was wondering how long it would take for you to beg me for help, but I must admit that I am rather impressed with your ability go as long as you have_ ," V.V. said with a slightly bemused expression on his youthful face.

Clovis snickered at his uncle's insult. "Oh, dear Uncle. I am not calling to beg for help. I am calling to report _my_ _success_ ," Clovis said proudly. V.V. raised an eyebrow. " _Success? May I see proof of this success?_ " he asked Clovis skeptically.

"Why, certainly!" Clovis replied before stepping to the side to reveal the gurney with C.C. strapped to it. He had placed the Zero helmet back on her as part of a theatrical reveal for his uncle. " _So... what am I looking at, exactly?_ " V.V. asked Clovis with a hint of annoyance in his voice, as though his droll expression weren't enough of a hint.

Clovis reached over and took off the helmet to reveal C.C.'s face, deliberately parting her hair to show the faint sigil on her forehead. V.V.'s eyes widened after a moment as recognition set in. " _You... you actually did it_ ," V.V. said in disbelief. Clovis chuckled in amusement at V.V.'s reaction.

"Indeed I did, dear Uncle," Clovis finally said with a smile.

" _Well, it seems that you aren't as useless as I had feared_ ," V.V. said, causing Clovis's smile to falter slightly. " _Anyway, I appreciate your show of competence, dear nephew. However, I do have other matters to attend. Congratulations on finally proving your worth. Goodbye_ ," V.V. said with an almost neutral expression on his face as he ended the call.

"Um... thanks, I guess," Clovis said to the blank screen. He then turned his attention to C.C., still lying on the gurney. "As for _you_ , my little troublemaker," Clovis said with a smile, "I have plans for you."

Reaching into his pocket, Clovis pulled out his flip phone and speed-dialed one of the scientists involved in Project R. " _Hello?_ " came the groggy reply on the other end after a few rings. "Hello, Doctor Fenette. The test subject has been returned to us. Project R will resume tomorrow. I expect you to inform the others as soon as I hang up. I will be waiting tomorrow afternoon for the first test to begin. That is all," Clovis said before hanging up. He then walked over and unlocked the doors to the room before calling his guards back inside, handing the pistol back to one of them.

"Gentlemen, let's get her moved to the primary lab. I want to have her ready for tomorrow," Clovis said as he motioned for the guards to started moving the gurney as they followed him out of the room.

 **A Few Minutes Later, Elsewhere In The Base...**

" **You will obey every order I give to you. You will let us through without incident. You will report nothing out of the ordinary to your superiors. You will forget having ever encountered either us after your shift is over** ," Lelouch said to a security guard in front of him. "Yes, my liege," the security guard said with a smile as Lelouch and Kallen passed him on their way through the lobby.

"You there! Halt!" another guard said as he entered the room and spotted them. Lelouch activated his Geass and told the guard to stand down. " **You will obey every order I give to you. You will report nothing out of the ordinary to your superiors as you escort us to the main security center. You will make no attempts to apprehend us or impede us in our endeavors. You will forget having ever encountered us after your shift is over** ," Lelouch said to the man.

"Yes sir. Please, follow me," the guard said, his eyes glowing faint red as he led Kallen and Lelouch through the corridors of the facility. With every guard they encountered, Lelouch activated his Geass and made them ignore him and Kallen as they were led to the security center.

After finally reaching the security center, the guard opened the door and let them inside, where three men turned around to find themselves staring at a red bird flying through the air. " **You will obey every order I give to you, regardless of whether or not you can see me** ," Lelouch said firmly to the three security guards.

" _YES SIR!_ " they replied in unison. Lelouch smirked underneath his helmet, while Kallen nodded her head at his handiwork. " **Now, disable all backup storage media for the security systems, but keep the cameras online** ," Lelouch ordered them. The guards immediately set to work carrying out his orders.

Lelouch then walked over to the wall of screens and watched for signs of C.C. and Clovis within the facility. Kallen joined him in his search.

"Do you see her yet?" She asked Lelouch. " **No. Not yet** ," he replied as he kept scanning the multiple screens. " **Wait a minute...** _ **there!**_ " he exclaimed as he pointed a gloved finger at a monitor. C.C. was strapped to a gurney being wheeled behind Clovis by two armed guards in a hallway.

"That's on... sub-level three," Kallen said as she looked at the information stamped in the upper right corner of the screen. Lelouch nodded his head before turning around. " **You will report nothing out of the ordinary when questioned. You will do nothing to impede our progress** ," Lelouch announced to the guards as he and Kallen exited the room.

Looking at the guard stationed outside, Lelouch ordered him to take them down to Sub-Level 3, where C.C. was being held by Clovis. As they walked down the corridors, Kallen noticed the security cameras following them. "Zero, you didn't tell the guards to disable the security cameras," Kallen pointed out.

" **I'll do that after we've rescued Cee-Two. Turning off the cameras now might alert anyone we haven't encountered yet to our presence, which could complicate matters** ," Lelouch replied. Kallen nodded her head in acceptance of his reasoning, although she was still slightly skeptical.

As the duo followed the Geassed guard through the corridors, they came upon two guards patrolling a T-junction up ahead. They too fell to Lelouch's Geass and ignored him and Kallen as they made their way to an elevator. The guard waited for them to enter before joining them in the elevator car and selecting Sub-Level 3 as their destination.

 **Meanwhile, On Sub-Level 3...**

Upon reaching the door to the main lab, Clovis retrieved his access card and swiped it before entering his personal access code. The lights above the door flashed green and the door slid open to allow him, C.C., and the guards access to the lab. Slowing down, Clovis fell into step next tot he gurney as it was pushed toward a large table in the center of the lab. The door soon slid shut behind them.

"Oh, Cee-Two. It truly is _so good_ to have you _back_ ," Clovis said wistfully. _I can resume my quest for immortality, and once Zero tries to rescue you, I can have that masked lunatic killed in yet another trap. I am getting so_ _ **GOOD**_ _at this! Truly, Lelouch would be proud of me_ , Clovis thought to himself as he looked down at the unconscious green-haired girl.

He kept the Zero mask in his right hand as he lifted his left one to run his gloved fingers through the immortal woman's hair. "You _will_ give me immortality, Cee-Two. One way or another, it will happen," Clovis whispered with a predatory smile on his face, his eyes half-lidded. "This beautiful face and body of mine cannot be allowed to succumb to the ravages of age," he added.

He then turned to look at the guards. "Guards, please move her onto the table. She's still sedated, so don't worry about restraining her until she's been properly situated," Clovis requested with an air of authority. The guards nodded their heads and began undoing C.C.'s straps, releasing her from the gurney as they lifted her up and carried her over to the table.

Looking up at a clock nearby, Clovis sighed. _Oh my. Well, I did tell Fenette to wait until the afternoon to resume the experiments_. _I should have plenty of time to catch my beauty sleep_ , Clovis thought to himself. As he turned around, the door to the lab slid open and a guard walked into the room.

"Um, is there a problem?" Clovis asked the guard, just before he noticed the faint red tinge to the man's eyes and the two figures behind him. _Oh shit! Zero's already here_ , Clovis realized in a panic. _I didn't expect him to act so quickly!_

"Guards, open fire!" Clovis called out, just as the new guard raised his sidearm and opened fire at the other two guards. The first guard went down quickly, but the second one managed to bring his pistol up to bear and shot the Geassed guard in the head, putting him down for good. He then aimed his gun at the other two people entering the room, one of whom was already pointing a gun at him.

"Drop your weapon now! I said drop it!" the still-living guard barked at the intruder pointing a gun at him. However, before anyone could say another word, a series of gunshots rang out as the second guard fell. Clovis scrambled over to the table to grab C.C. and lifted her up to use as a shield, dropping her Zero helmet to the floor, while Zero and a red-haired girl walked toward the table. The girl had a pistol in her hands with a smoking barrel.

" **What a shame. I was hoping he'd be able to get us back to the surface. Oh well, we'll just use someone else** ," Zero said with a shrug of his shoulders as he looked down at the dead guard he had Geassed earlier. He slowly shook his head before he turned to face Clovis. " **Ah, Prince Clovis la Britannia!** " Zero exclaimed as he clasped his gloved hands together. Clovis made to reach for his own pistol, but the red-head aimed her gun at him quicker than he could react.

"Don't move!" she shouted at him. "Put both hands in the air _NOW!_ " she barked at him. Clovis nodded his head in fear and slowly let C.C. drop to the table as he raised both hands into the air. "Now, step out where we can see your whole body," Red-head demanded.

" **Excellent work, Q-One** ," Zero said. Q-1 nodded her head in response. " **Now,** _ **Clovis**_ **, I have some questions for you to answer** ," Zero said as he opened the slot in his helmet. Clovis immediately shut his eyes and turned his head before Zero could activate his Geass.

Inside his helmet, Lelouch raised an eyebrow. " **What's with that reaction? Do you think I'm going to shoot you through my helmet?** " he asked Clovis curiously.

"No, it's your Geass!" Clovis replied, causing Lelouch to gape inside his helmet. _He knows about Geass!? Wait, OF COURSE he knows about Geass! He and Bartley were studying C.C. for who knows how long. And C.C. mentioned another immortal named V.V. assisting Clovis, so of course he would have access to that information from another source if C.C. wasn't cooperative. I feel so_ _ **stupid**_ _for not realizing this sooner_ , Lelouch thought to himself in frustration.

" **So... you know about Geass.** _ **Good**_ **. Then you know what I can do with it** ," Lelouch said through his helmet, trying to keep his cool and not expose how truly flustered he was at that moment. " **So, let's get down to business, shall we? I want you to release Cee-Two from your custody** ," Lelouch said as he brought out a pistol of his own to scare Clovis.

"S-Sure! A-Anything y-you want!" Clovis replied, keeping his eyes shut. " **Second, tell me how you anticipated my attempt to steal those Sutherlands? How did you know that I would be able to gain access to that information?** " Lelouch asked Clovis.

"W-Well... I know about Cee-Two and Geass, and after reading the reports on both the Shinjuku Battle and the Shinjuku Raid, I knew that she had formed a contract with someone. Therefore, I realized that you, Zero, must have used your Geass on various government and military officials within my administration in order to gain access to our network servers. The details of the raid were discussed only in E-mails, so I realized that's how you were able to prepare for the Shinjuku Raid." Clovis replied.

" **And so you deliberately used unsecured servers to send unencrypted E-Mails with sensitive data through them, knowing that I would be scanning your servers for such information? I'm... I'm actually quite impressed** ," Lelouch stated. Kallen listened closely to the conversation, slowly coming to an understanding of just how easily the whole mission could have ended in failure.

"That's right. I set a trap, and you fell for it," Clovis replied.

" **Well,** **I don't think the loss of several Sutherlands works out in your favor** ," Lelouch said.

"They're replaceable," Clovis countered, still keeping his eyes shut. "Besides, if you didn't show up, all twenty four Knightmares get delivered to a military base under my control. And if you did show up, I lose a few Knightmares, but I also capture you and/or Cee-Two," Clovis said. "Either way, I came out on top," he added with a smirk.

" **All because you realized that I used Geass on members of your administration to gain access to your network servers** ," Lelouch said, somewhat proud of his half-brother's ability to formulate such a plan.

"Of course. I'll bet you used your Geass on Bartley, too. Didn't you?" Clovis asked him, still keeping his eyes shut. " **Yes. Yes, I did use it on Bartley. The information he shared has been most helpful to me so far** ," Lelouch replied.

" **But... I've been having some trouble gaining access to a few more...** _ **critical**_ **servers that can only be accessed by the Viceroy. Which means I'm going to need you to give me every username and password you have for whatever accounts you use to access those servers** ," Lelouch said as he pulled out a small hand-held recording device.

"If I do... will you let me live?" Clovis asked him hesitantly. " **Well, the thing of it is... I can't really _trust you_ to be honest with me on your own**," Lelouch replied. " **If you would just... open your eyes, this will be a lot easier for both of us** ," Lelouch said.

Clovis gulped before slowly opening his eyes and turned to face Zero, watching as a red bird flew out of the helmet at him.

" **You will obey every order I give to you, regardless of whether or not you can see me. You will answer every question I ask of you truthfully** ," Lelouch said. Clovis nodded his head robotically, his eyes tinged with red rings. "Yes, I understand," Clovis said.

" **Now... who killed Empress Marianne vi Britannia?** " Lelouch asked Clovis. "I don't know," Clovis replied. " **Tell me who** _ **would**_ **know** ," Lelouch demanded, causing Kallen to raise an eyebrow at him questioningly.

"Prince Schneizel and Princess Cornelia," Clovis said. " **How deep were they involved?** " Lelouch asked him. "Schneizel was in charge of handling Marianne's body, while Cornelia was the Captain of Marianne's royal guard," Clovis explained. Lelouch regarded Clovis for a moment, before accepting his response.

"Okay, now ask him for the server stuff," Kallen said. " **I don't need to** ," Lelouch replied dismissively. " _What!?_ " Kallen asked him in disbelief. " **Bartley had the same administrative level access as Clovis. They both had the same level of access to the same servers and networks. I lied about needing Clovis's information because I needed Clovis to open his eyes** ," Lelouch explained. Kallen rolled her eyes before shaking her head in response.

" **Tell me, Clovis, what are your plans for Cee-Two?** " Lelouch asked as he resumed questioning the Geassed Prince. "I wish to gain immortality from her by any means necessary. I plan on having her entire body studied, dissected, put back together, and examined in every way possible until I achieve immortality," Clovis said.

Kallen scrunched her face in disgust at the man, before she raised an eyebrow. "Wait, what's this about immortality?" she asked curiously. " **Cee-Two is immortal. She can technically die but her body will regenerate and heal her wounds in only a few minutes** ," Lelouch explained. " **I saw this ability with my own eyes in Shinjuku, when Cee-Two was shot to death by a group of Britannian soldiers, only for her to heal her bullet wounds and get up a few minutes later. I'll explain in greater detail after we get out of here** ," Lelouch elaborated, knowing that Kallen was no doubt skeptical of his claims, despite everything she had witnessed so far. Lelouch then returned his focus to Clovis.

" **Clovis, did you order Bartley to slaughter the population of Shinjuku in order to keep Cee-Two a secret?** " Lelouch asked him. "I told him to use any means he deemed necessary to retrieve Cee-Two," Clovis replied.

" **Do you heel any guilt, remorse, or regret for the lives lost because of your orders and Bartley's actions?** " Lelouch asked him. "No. I feel nothing for those who died," Clovis replied.

Inside his helmet, Lelouch's face scrunched up in dismay. " **Do you feel any guilt, regret, or remorse for the pain and suffering which Cee-Two has endured from the experiments performed on her?** " Lelouch asked Clovis.

"No," Clovis responded.

" **That will be all, Clovis** ," Lelouch said as he released the man from his Geass. The red rings disappeared from Clovis's eyes as he looked around the room. "S-So... did you... did you use your Geass on me yet?" Clovis asked Zero nervously.

" **Yes. And I learned more than I needed** ," Lelouch replied with disgust in his voice as he raised his pistol to aim it at Clovis's head. "W-Wait a minute! You said you would let me live!" Clovis pleaded.

" **No, I didn't. I never agreed to do that** ," Lelouch replied. " **What happened to you, Clovis? You were once one of the gentlest souls I'd ever known** ," Lelouch said. Clovis blinked at him in confusion.

"W-What do you mean? Do I _know you?_ " Clovis asked him with a raised eyebrow. " **Yes, Clovis. Or at least, we** _ **used**_ **to know each other** ," Lelouch replied as he reached up to press the button on the side of his helmet. The helmet folded on itself and collapsed into Lelouch's hand, revealing his hair and eyes to Clovis, before he reached up and pulled down the mouth covering.

Clovis studied his face carefully, before his eyes lit up in recognition and joy. "L-Lelouch! Lelouch, you're _ALIVE!_ " Clovis exclaimed joyously. Lelouch, however remained frowning in disgust at Clovis.

"Clovis... the Lelouch that you knew is gone," Lelouch said darkly. "The Lelouch who played chess with you and Schneizel is here only in body, but not in spirit. That Lelouch died the day Emperor Charles zi Britannia declared that the death of Empress Marianne meant nothing to him, before disowning his own daughter simply because she was crippled by a stray bullet," Lelouch growled with fury in his eyes.

Clovis gulped at his half-brother's rage. "Th-That... I-I... I'm sorry. But, Lelouch? If you're still alive, then what of Nunnally?" Clovis asked him. Kallen raised an eyebrow as she kept her gun trained on Clovis.

"Nunnally? She's safe... however, if I tell you where she resides, then I'm afraid that her life will be in danger once more. For Nunnally's safety... I can't allow you to see her," Lelouch said as he slowly moved his finger from the trigger guard of his gun to the trigger itself. He forced back the bile that threatened to rise into his throat as he thought about what he was about to do.

"W-Wait, please, Lelouch! I would never do anything to harm Nunnally!" Clovis pleaded as beads of sweat poured down his face. "Please, I beg you!" Clovis pleaded, tears streaming from his eyes. Lelouch fought back the tears threatening to fall from his own eyes as his memories of spending time with Clovis in the Aries Villa swam through his head. He forced those memories aside and focused on what he had just learned about the present Clovis.

"Clovis, this isn't just for Nunnally. It's for everyone you've hurt. For those killed because of your quest for eternal life. For the people of Shinjuku. For Cee-Two. For what you've _done_ , and what you _plan_ to do. Good...Goodbye, brother," Lelouch said as he squeezed the trigger, sending a bullet speeding through the air and into Clovis's cranium.

Blood and brain matter exploded out of the back of Clovis's skull as he dropped to the floor. Breathing slowly, Lelouch holstered his pistol and put his helmet back on before grabbing C.C.'s Zero helmet from the floor and placing it on the limette's head, activating it. " **Come on. Let's get Cee-Two out of here** ," Lelouch said tersely.

Kallen nodded his head quietly and holstered her pistol before walking over to help Lelouch carry C.C. back onto the gurney for ease of transport. The duo quietly strode through the corridors of the base, the sounds of their footsteps and the gurney's wheels being the only thing heard in the otherwise still hallways. Kallen glanced at Lelouch every now and then, wondering how he was handling the execution of his half-brother.

 _I know he's killed before. I mean, he killed General Bartley and his command staff, but... I guess none of them were people he_ _ **knew**_ _on a personal level_ , Kallen thought to herself. _Not that Clovis didn't deserve it, but... I guess he was still Lelouch's brother_.

Upon returning to the Security Center, Lelouch strode inside while having Kallen wait with C.C. in the hallway. " **I command you, all of you, to erase and wipe all footage from the security cameras, wipe all data stored on the computers, and reset the security system to a blank default state. Make sure that no data collected within the past three hours remains intact. Leave all cameras and recording devices turned off until Five A.M. tomorrow morning. After you have finished your task of destroying all data, forget having ever encountered us** ," Lelouch said firmly.

The guards inside nodded their heads, their eyes still tinged with red as the Geass took effect once more. Lelouch then turned around strode out of the room, gesturing for Kallen to follow him as he began pushing C.C.'s gurney through the corridors again. The rest of their trip through the facility was quiet with all guards ignoring them thanks to Lelouch's Geass.

* * *

 **Thirty Minutes Later, On A Back Road...**

"We should get to the rendezvous point in another forty minutes or so," Kallen said as she drove the jeep through the hills. Lying in the backseat was C.C., still unconscious from the tranquilizer. Lelouch nodded his head slowly. Clovis's terrified eyes and pleading voice refused to leave his mind, and the churning in his gut grew worse and worse with ever passing moment, until he could finally take it no more. Lelouch tried to quell the feeling in his stomach and shook his head, before taking off his helmet with a gasp. "Lelouch, is something wrong?" Kallen asked him with a hint of concern in her voice.

"S-Stop the c-car," Lelouch said, feeling bile trying to swim up his throat. He couldn't hold it any longer. Kallen slowly brought the jeep to a halt and put it in park as Lelouch took off his seat belt and opened the door. He stepped out and quickly fell to his hands and knees as the bile finally broke through, exiting his body through his mouth with painful heaving and gagging.

Kallen quickly got out of the jeep and rushed around the front of the jeep to kneel beside Lelouch as he threw up. She placed a hand on his back as he forced the bile out of his body. "It's all right. Let it out," she said softly. She had done this herself the first time she had ever killed someone in person.

When Lelouch was finally done, he wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his uniform before craning his neck to look up at Kallen with tears streaming down his face. "I... I'm sorry," Lelouch choked out. "I didn't... I-I knew that it would happen eventually, it's just..." Lelouch trailed off as he tried to think.

"I just... I just wasn't ready for it. I feel _sick_ , and... and _guilty_ ," he said mournfully. Kallen solemnly nodded her head. "You must think I'm a weak leader for this, don't you?" he asked her with shame in his voice.

Kallen shook her head in response. "No. I don't think it makes you weak. The same thing happened to me the first time I killed someone on purpose," she said softly, a somber expression etched across her face. "Nobody's ever truly ready the first time they kill someone," she added.

"This wasn't the first time I ever killed anybody, though," Lelouch said, his voice and expression equally somber.

"I know. You killed Bartley and his command staff in Shinjuku," Kallen said, nodding her head.

"Wrong. I killed about two or three members of his command staff. _Cee-Two_ killed Bartley and the rest," Lelouch revealed. Kallen's eyes widened for a moment, before lowering in a soft gaze. "She... she wanted revenge for what he and Clovis put her through," Lelouch elaborated as he slowly sat up and rested his back against the side of the jeep.

"I... I killed my own brother," Lelouch said somberly, before his eyes widened and he threw himself onto his hands and knees again as a gagging sound filled the air. Kallen watched as Lelouch emptied his stomach onto the grass below, listening to him sob with every heave, keeping a hand on his caped back. When he was finally finished, he sat up and almost fell to the side before Kallen caught him and helped him sit upright.

"Just take it easy. Breathe," Kallen said softly. "Just keep breathing slowly. In and out," Kallen instructed him. "Inhale... and exhale. Inhale... and exhale. _Slowly_ , Lelouch, _slowly_. Inhale... and exhale," Kallen repeated until Lelouch was able to wipe his mouth with his other sleeve. After a few minutes, Lelouch leaned back against the side of the jeep again, his breathing evening out.

Kallen slowly gripped Lelouch's left arm and helped him stand up. "Come on. Let's get back to the others. I won't tell anyone if you don't want me to," Kallen said reassuringly as she helped Lelouch step back into the jeep. She quickly closed the door and jogged over to the driver's side before getting in and closing her own door. After locking the doors, she reached for a water bottle in the back and gave it to Lelouch before she took the jeep out of park and resumed driving. All the while, C.C. remained unconscious in the back seat.

* * *

 **ENDING THEME:** _ **A Kind Of Magic**_ **, by Queen**

* * *

 **PREVIEW OF NEXT TIME**

On the next chapter of _Two Steps Forward, One Step Backward_ , Lelouch reveals his true identity to the rest of the Black Knights, while Clovis's death leaves Area 11's administration in chaos. It's "fun times" for everyone as Lelouch uses both his Geass and access to Area 11's government network servers to screw with the Purebloods as they try to maintain order in Area 11 until a new Viceroy arrives to replace Clovis.

* * *

Author's Notes: And this was Chapter 07! Originally, I planned to end the chapter with Lelouch revealing his identity to the rest of the Black Knights, but I've decided to save that for the opening of the next chapter. I also originally planned to make the Knightmare theft a lot more action-packed, but in the end I decided that making things more stealthy was the better way to go. Remember, this Lelouch is a bit more practical than Canon Lelouch, although he is just as prone to making mistakes as Canon Lelouch.

I've also decided to characterize Two Steps Lelouch as being a bit less cold-hearted than Canon Lelouch, as demonstrated with his conflicted feelings over his execution of Clovis. Now, remember that even though Lelouch didn't act this way after killing Bartley's staff or the Royal Guards, that's because he didn't know any of them personally. The Royal Guards were preparing to kill Lelouch after "killing" C.C. in front of him, so he had motivation _and_ justification and _technically_ he made them _kill themselves_ , while Bartley's command staff were just nameless goons in Lelouch's eyes. Clovis was someone Lelouch knew from his childhood, someone he loved as a brother, and so killing Clovis in person has a different effect on Lelouch than his other victims so far.

Now, one thing I want to make clear is that after Lelouch introduces himself to the rest of the Black Knights, he won't be doing so for any future members. He is doing this only for the core members of the group, as they will be most tight-knit of the organization. They've earned his trust and he's earned theirs in his eyes.

Another thing I want to point out is that, yes, Clovis stole a page from Lelouch's playbook with his trap. But, hey, it actually succeeded. Sure, he didn't manage to _kill_ Zero, but he did succeed in _capturing C.C._ , which _was_ his intended goal all along. And then it got him killed, because life's a bitch. No, I never had any plans on having Clovis and Lelouch team up together. I'm sorry to those of you who wanted that to happen, but I always planned on having Clovis die. I just wanted to let him live longer than canon so that he could have more of an impact on the plot.

Also, the next episode will be a bit more light-heart in comparison to this one, with some fluff between a few characters here and there, and Lelouch sending the Purebloods on wild goose chases thanks to his access to their network servers. Oh, and if it wasn't made clear, I'm pairing Suzaku with Shirley. This is probably the rarest pairing I have ever seen in Code Geass fan fiction, with only one other story containing this pairing on FFN to my knowledge. I said I wanted to make this story stand out from the rest, and this is my way of doing so. If anyone has any problems with this, well... it sucks to be you, I guess.

And, yes, this chapter is where Kallen and Lelouch's relationship actually starts to take shape. They still won't actually see each other in a romantic light for at least another dozen chapters or so, but the seeds of the relationship are sewn here in this chapter. That doesn't mean they won't ogle each other's bodies when given the chance until then, but that's purely physical attraction. Basically, they're currently comrades who go to school together, but that camaraderie is going to grow into friendship, and then that friendship will evolve into something more as time goes on and they keep fighting alongside each other. That's how I plan on writing their relationship in this story.

Anyway, get ready for more of Nunnally, Sayoko, Suzaku, Shirley, Lloyd, Cecile, Villetta, Jeremiah, Cheese-Kun, Milly, Nina, Kewell, and... uh, Rivalz in the next chapter. What kind of name is _Rivalz_ anyway?

I, Anguirus1955, command you... let me know what you think of the chapter and/or the story so far in your reviews!


	8. In Justice

**CODE GEASS: Two Steps Forward, One Step Backward**

By Anguirus1955

Disclaimer: Code Geass is the intellectual property of Studio Sunrise and Bandai Entertainment.

In this chapter, Suzaku runs into Shirley again. I want to say that, much like Lelouch and Kallen, Suzaku and Shirley's relationship won't be something happens right away. They'll start out as acquaintances, become friends, and then that friendship will develop into something deeper as time goes on. Of course, it will also move at a somewhat brisker pace than Kallen and Lelouch's relationship, because Kallen and Lelouch have a bit of a "Superior and Subordinate" thing between them that keeps their relationship in the slowly developing "Friend Zone" for now, while Suzaku and Shirley don't have that between them, so neither of them will ever worry about those kind of issues.

So, in the previous chapter I had Lelouch kill Clovis. I know that some of you are probably disappointed because you wanted to see Clovis and Lelouch team up or something along those lines, but the thing is... the story I want to tell just doesn't work if Clovis remains alive. Plus, Clovis was, you know, in charge of the whole illegal experiments on C.C. project, and he gave Bartley carte blanche to kill anybody he wanted in order to keep Project R a secret.

Now, I know that Project R in the Canon series was called Code R, but I honestly felt that the name didn't make much sense from that standpoint. Code R would make more sense as the name of a test subject or perhaps as the name of a special order of some kind or perhaps, in the manner of someone saying, "Initiate Code R!" or whatver. So, Project R just makes more sense in my mind as the name of the _project_ itself. Although, I have no idea what the R stands for, as I don't think that's ever explained in canon. It's kind of like how nobody knows what the "G" stands for in GIR from Invader Zim. I think it stands for Garbage, given that the Tallest quite literally pulled the robot out of a garbage can _and_ put actual garbage into the robot's head when putting it together, but I digress.

Another thing I want to point out in this story is that C.C.'s biological age is 18, instead of 16 as it was in Canon, and she is a couple centimeters taller as well. Her _chronological age_ is around 530 years old, give or take a decade. However, she still looks young enough to be in high school, but also old enough to go into a bar or a casino without raising too many eyebrows.

One more thing... I've decided to avoid the whole Marianne possessing Anya thing from canon, because I just found the whole scenario to be contrived beyond belief. I can buy Marianne ordering her royal guard to take the night off so that she can meet V.V. in private. I can accept V.V. getting away with his actions because of who he is and his connections. I can even accept Marianne _having_ Geass, but the idea that this little girl was able to sneak into the villa and witness everything without V.V. noticing her? No. I just don't buy that. V.V. wanted to be alone with Marianne when he killed her, so I find it _highly unlikely_ that he wouldn't inspect the designated meeting location for signs of eavesdroppers when he had the chance. So, that whole Anya being possessed by Marianne plot is gone in this version.

Also, while I had initially planned on devoting a lengthy portion of this chapter to Lelouch screwing the the Purebloods by sending them on wild goose-chases through the ghettos in pursuit of Zero, I realized during the writing and editing process that the focus of this chapter should actually be on Lelouch coming to terms with his execution of Clovis and how that affects him emotionally and mentally, as Two Steps Lelouch is not the cold-blooded killer that Canon Lelouch was depicted as when _he_ killed Clovis. Another significant factor to take into account is C.C. and her feelings regarding her capture and her desire for revenge.

So, the whole screwing with the Purebloods thing will take place in the next chapter.

As with all stories that I write, I listen to music while writing to help myself get into a groove or to help myself capture certain feelings while writing. It can help inspire me sometimes. Music that I listened to while writing this chapter include _Code Geass OST_ 1 - 2 (2006 - 2007) by Kotaro Nakagawa, _Code Geass R2 OST 1 -2_ (2008 - 2009) by Kotaro Nakagawa, _Can't Buy Me Love Original Motion Picture Soundtrack_ (1987) by Robert Folk, and _Halo 2 Anniversary Original Soundtrack_ (2014) by Martin O'Donnell & Michael Salvatori with new recordings by Skywalker Sound.

Please note that listening to this music while reading the story is _**not**_ a requirement. I simply provide this as a little something extra to help enhance the reading experience, if you the readers so wish to do so. Most of this music can be found and heard on YouTube or any number of anime soundtrack websites. For this chapter, however, listening to the final track listings is highly recommended for this particular chapter.

Sudden and Suspicious Disclaimer: I also advocate the purchasing and obtaining of official soundtracks through legal means.

Music From _Code Geass OST 1 - 2_ (2006 - 2007): _Zero_ , _Strange Girl_ , _Cold Nobility_ , _With You_ , _Last Adolescence_ , _Boyhood_ , _Pessimistic Time_ , _Feel Ambivalents_.

Music From _Code Geass R2 OST 1 - 2_ (2008 - 2009): _What's Justice?_ , _Madder Sky_ , _Last Evening_.

Music From _Can't Buy Me Love_ (1987): _Geek Groove_ , _Rent Me_ , _Siberia_ , _Anything You Want_ , _Thinking of You_ , _Don't Forget_.

Music From _Halo 2 Anniversary OST_ (2014): _Not A Number_ , _Promise the Girl_ , _Skyline_ , _Second Prelude_.

 **Track Order Listing - All After Opening Theme And Before Ending Theme**

 **01**. _Promise the Girl_ (Reaching the rendezvous point), **02**. _Second Prelude_ (Lelouch reveals himself to Black Knights), **03**. _Last Adolescence_ (Saturday morning), **04**. _Pessimistic Time_ (Meeting in Government Borough), **05**. _Anything You Want_ (Suzaku bumps into Shirley), **06**. _Don't Forget_ (Suzaku and Shirley continued), **07**. _Feel Ambivalents_ (Lelouch and C.C.), **08**. _What's Justice?_ (Zero's message).

 **Music After Ending Theme**

 **09**. _Not A Number_.

* * *

 **OPENING THEME:** _ **Princes Of The Universe**_ **(by Queen)**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 08: In Justice**

* * *

 **Black Knights Rendezvous Point, Friday Night, October 13, 2017 ATB**

Driving along a back road toward the rendezvous point, Kallen soon saw the signs of the Sutherlands hiding in a tree line up ahead. Slowing down the jeep, Kallen glanced at Lelouch, who was holding his helmet in his hands. "We're almost there," she said as she returned her focus to the tree line. Lelouch quietly nodded his head in response before slowly raising his helmet, only to pause with a frown.

He twisted himself around in the seat to peer over at C.C., who was still unconscious in the back seat of the jeep. After seeing the rise and fall of her breasts through her outfit to indicate that she was still breathing, Lelouch twisted himself back around as Kallen soon brought the jeep to a stop just in front of the forest. A narrow dirt trail for off-road vehicles went through the forest, but it was only wide enough for one vehicle at a time.

Putting the jeep in park, Kallen looked at Lelouch with concern. "Aren't you gonna... you know, put on the helmet?" she asked him. Lelouch slowly shook his head.

"I promised them that if the mission was successful... I'd reveal my identity to them. The mission _was_ a success, Kallen. I have to honor my word or all of the trust I've built up will be broken," Lelouch replied in a solemn tone. "I already have the helmet off, so why put it back on if I'm just gonna take it off in a minute anyway?" he asked her in response before picking up the radio.

"Attention Black Knights, this is Zero. We have returned to the rendezvous point with Zero-Two in our custody. You may exit your Knightmares if you wish, for I am calling a short ground meeting between everyone. It will be brief, but important," Lelouch said.

" _Understood. Good to have you back, Zero. K-One out_ ," Ohgi said over the radio. Reclining back in his seat, Lelouch took a deep breath before exhaling slowly. "Keep the engine running, Kallen. This won't take too long," Lelouch said as he unbuckled his seat belt and opened the door, stepping out onto the grass and dirt outside before marching toward the tree line.

As he walked forward, Lelouch soon saw the forms of the Black Knights emerging from the trees, highlighted by the lights of the jeep. As he stood before them, he scanned their faces to see their expressions as they took in his true face. For a minute, there was only silence between the Black Knights and their leader as they took in his face.

Finally, Tamaki broke that silence. "I don't believe it," he muttered. "We've been taking orders from someone who's _still in high school!?_ " he shrieked incredulously.

Looking at Tamaki's expression, Lelouch smiled before snickering. "Well, you're not wrong there," Lelouch said as he ran a hand through his hair. "Must be embarrassing for you, knowing that your lives are in the hands of a school student," Lelouch said humorously.

Ohgi simply rolled his eyes while the others shared glances between each other before looking at Lelouch again. "So, Zero... what's your real name?" Inoue finally asked him. Lelouch smiled as he prepared his response.

"My name? My name is Lelouch... _vi Britannia_ ," he said. Lelouch watched the varying reactions to his name with some degree of amusement. Tamaki's jaw dropped as his left eye twitched, Inoue blinked in surprise, Yoshida's face paled, Minami looked at him in bewilderment, and Sugiyama slowly nodded his head with his mouth slightly agape as he processed this information.

"V-Vi... Britannia?" Inoue asked as her brain began functioning again. Lelouch nodded his head in confirmation. "As in... the _son_ of the _Emperor!?_ " she asked in disbelief. Lelouch nodded his head once more.

"Yes. I am the exiled prince, cast away by my father for the crime of defending my sister after she was crippled in the attack that killed our mother," Lelouch said, his eyes narrowed dangerously. "Do you wish to kill me, knowing who I am now?" he asked everyone as he looked at their faces. Only Ohgi remained nonplussed as he leaned against the trunk of a tree.

The Black Knights looked at each other curiously as they considered Lelouch's question. Lelouch glanced at Ohgi, who simply shook his head quietly. "Well?" Lelouch asked the Black Knights as they pondered his query.

Inoue was the first one to speak. "Tell us right now, are you fighting against the Britannian Empire for the sake of a personal vendetta?" she asked him with narrowed eyes.

"Yes," Lelouch replied honestly.

"Is that the _only reason_ that you're helping us?" she asked him skeptically.

"No," Lelouch replied. "I want to change the world and make it a gentler place for my sister," he elaborated.

"Then why not just announce your survival and return to Pendragon? I'm sure your sister would be treated decently there," Tamaki asked curiously. Ohgi smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand in reaction to Tamaki's words.

"Tamaki, his sister was _disowned_ by the Emperor because she was _crippled_ by a stray bullet! Do you honestly think the Emperor would take her back with open arms!?" Ohgi asked Tamaki incredulously. "That would violate the Emperor's entire policy of Social Darwinism!" he added.

"Well... I'm sure he would take _Lelouch_ back. I mean, _he_ isn't crippled," Tamaki said, prompting Inoue to smack him upside the back of his head. "Ow! What was _that_ for!?" Tamaki whined.

"Guys, focus here!" Ohgi snapped. "Zero-I mean, Lelouch, wouldn't be welcomed back either," Ohgi said. "Remember, he and his sister were _both_ disinherited," Ohgi reminded everyone.

"So? That still doesn't mean they can't announce their survival," Tamaki groaned as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Yes, it _does_ ," Lelouch replied with a frown. "When the Invasion of Japan was started, the safe house where Nunnally and I were staying was destroyed by _Britannian_ aircraft. Later, mutilated bodies were dressed up and presented on Britannian TV networks as belonging to my sister and I as propaganda to enforce negative public opinion against Japan," Lelouch explained.

"Someone with a lot of clout and influence in the Empire wanted us dead, and they want people to believe that we're dead as well. If we announce ourselves, whoever was responsible for that, if they're still alive, may try to finish the job," Lelouch said. "Letting everyone believe that my sister and I are still dead is presently the best course of action if I want my sister to remain safe and unharmed," he added.

"Well... why not tell Clovis? I mean, I'm sure he would be willing to cover for you, since he's your half-brother. Just tell him that you know about his illegal experiments and use that as blackmail to keep his mouth shut," Tamaki suggested.

Lelouch's face fell slightly at those words. "Yeah... um, about that? Clovis is _dead_ ," Lelouch said, causing everyone's eyes to widen, including Ohgi's.

"He's _dead?_ Did _you_ kill him?" Ohgi asked Lelouch suspiciously.

"Yes," Lelouch admitted, nodding his head. "I killed my half-brother just over two hours ago," he said, thankful that he had nothing left in his stomach to throw up at this point. He looked around the forest and the clearing behind him before returning his attention to the rest of the Black Knights.

"So, here is my question to all of you," Lelouch said firmly. "Knowing who I am, will you still fight alongside me against Britannia? Will you still trust me take you as far as I can in your fight for freedom?" Lelouch asked them.

The Black Knights glanced at each other before looking back at Lelouch. Tamaki stepped forward and reached out with an open hand. "I still don't like the idea of taking orders from a Britannian high schooler, but if you're truly willing to go the same distance we are... then I'll keep working with you," Tamaki said with a hint of hesitation in his voice. Lelouch looked Tamaki in the eyes before reaching out and giving his hand a firm shake.

Smiling in genuine appreciation, Lelouch nodded his head at Tamaki. "Thank you, Tamaki Shinnichiro," Lelouch said before letting go of his hand. Tamaki raised an eyebrow while smiling awkwardly.

"Hey, you said my name the... you know, _traditional_ Japanese way," Tamaki noted. Lelouch simply shrugged his shoulders in response.

"Well, I _did_ spend two years living in Japan prior to the Invasion. Of course I would pick up the language and its various nuances... or at least a few of them," Lelouch explained. "There _are_ a few nuances and mannerisms inherent in the language that I will never truly understand, but that's fine with me," he added.

Lelouch then looked at the others before extending his hand to each of them. Slowly, one by one, they all shook hands with him and pledged their acceptance and willingness to work alongside him despite his heritage. It was a sobering moment for everyone, especially Lelouch as he began to realize the true weight of Ohgi's words about trust.

Looking around at the Black Knights, Lelouch inhaled. "I thank you, all of you, for placing your trust in me. I cannot guarantee that we will succeed in freeing Japan from Britannia's grasp, but I will do what is in my power to help you get as close to this goal as possible," Lelouch stated firmly, with all of the Black Knights nodding their heads in acceptance.

"Now, let's get these Knightmares hidden away. Tomorrow, I'm going to start searching for a more suitable HQ for us. With our equipment increasing, we're going to need to store things in places that won't be easily found by the Britannians," Lelouch said before he turned around and walked back over to the jeep. _That actually went a lot smoother than I thought it would. I was positive that at least one of them would threaten to shoot me_ , Lelouch thought to himself as he opened the passenger-side door of the jeep and got in, quickly closing it and buckling his seat belt.

* * *

 **Britannian Army Barracks, Just Outside the Tokyo Concession, Area 11, Saturday Morning, October 14, 2017 ATB**

Waking from his slumber, Suzaku Kururugi glanced over at the calendar on the wall. Today was one of his rare days off, both from testing the Lancelot _and_ regular military duties. Stretching with a yawn, he soon slipped himself out of his bunk and grabbed some clean clothes from his standard issue drawer before heading off to get a shower and brush his teeth.

After going through the usual morning routine, Suzaku returned to his quarters to dress himself in casual clothes. He chose a pair of dark grey cargo pants and a light grey T-shirt. Looking at a mirror, Suzaku inspected himself to make sure that he was presentable to anyone who encountered him. He then grabbed his emergency phone and stuffed it into his pants pocket before grabbing a bomber jacket and his wallet with his ID cards.

* * *

 **Ashford Academy...**

Looking at herself in a mirror, Shirley Fenette smiled at herself. With the weather getting colder, she had decided to wear something warm for her time outside. Blue jeans seemed appropriate enough, as did the yellow sweater she was wearing, along with the white shirt underneath. "Yeah... I look _good_ ," she said with a confident smile as she placed her hands on her hips.

Sitting up on the other bed in the dorm, Sophie Wood rubbed her eyes. "You plannin' on going somewhere today?" Sophie asked her roommate. Shirley turned around and nodded her head in response.

"Yup!" Shirley replied. "I'm gonna go walk around the Concession, maybe a grab a bite to eat, and take in the Autumn scenery!" she continued. Sophie quietly nodded her head. "I'm also gonna take pictures of the changing leaves on the trees with my phone, and then use them as wallpapers for my computer!" Shirley added.

"Well, you go ahead and do that," Sophie said with a hint of disinterest in her voice. "I'm gonna stay inside where it's nice and warm all day," she added. "Have fun taking pictures of leaves."

"It's not _that_ cold outside. It's not even winter yet," Shirley pointed out. Sophie simply rolled her eyes at the other girl in response as Shirley grabbed her satchel and made her way out the door. Two minutes later, the door opened as Shirley came back inside the dorm with a look of embarrassment on her face as she grabbed her shoes.

"Did you _forget_ something?" Sophie asked her with a hint of amusement in her voice. Shirley rolled her eyes in response, causing Sophie to smirk. After slipping on her sneakers, Shirley stood up with a proud face, hiding her embarrassment as she turned around to leave. She made it five steps before she kneeled down to actually tie her shoe laces properly. As soon as she finished those those laces, she was out the door.

" _Finally_ ," Sophie said in relief before hopping out of the bed and trotting over to the door to lock it from the inside. She then marched back to her bed knelt down beside the bed and reached underneath with a glint of determination in her eyes. "Come on, where is it?" she asked rhetorically as she searched for something. "Hm... _ah-ha!_ " she exclaimed happily as she retrieved blue zip-lock bag with a vibrator inside and made her way over to the bathroom.

* * *

 **The Government Borough, Tokyo Concession, Area 11...**

Stepping into the front lobby of the Government Borough, which was located in the Viceroy's Palace of Area 11, Lieutenant Villetta Nu was greeted with a rather empty-feeling building. Not a single person was to be found in the lobby. Usually, even at this time of morning, there were night-shift workers milling around as they prepared to leave or there were other personnel entering the building and chatting with one another before their shifts started.

Today, however, the lobby was completely empty, save for one person sitting behind the window of the visitor's office. Walking over to the window, Villetta saw the woman holding a phone up to her ear as she typed something into her computer. There was a very odd expression on the woman's face, almost one of panic and disbelief packed together.

Stepping away from the office window, Villetta walked over to the time clock and punched in before making her way through the mostly-empty corridors of the building. By the time she reached her office, the lack of activity had become so ominous and disturbing that Villetta found herself itching to reach for her sidearm. Something was wrong, very, very wrong.

However, before she reached her office, she saw two office workers running down a corridor together. "Hey!" Villetta called out to them. One of them backed up and stood still. "What's going on!? Where is everybody!?" Villetta asked them worriedly as she marched over to them.

"There's an emergency meeting being held in the Press Lobby," one of the men replied with an urgent tone. "We're heading there right now! Come on, follow us," he said. Villetta nodded her head and jogged over to catch up with the two men before following them to an elevator to take them up another level.

"So, any idea what this meeting is about?" Villetta asked the two men. They shook their heads in response.

"Not a clue, but Margrave Soresi sent e-mails to every manager and supervisor in the building to have their staff either get to the lobby or turn on the office TV sets. Aside from that, nobody knows what's going on," the first man said as the elevator ascended.

The doors soon opened with a 'PING' and Villetta followed the two men out into the hallway as they made their way to the Press Lobby. Upon reaching the room, Villetta noticed that there were no members of the Press Corps anywhere. There were no cameras to be found. _Why hold a meeting in the Press Lobby without the Press? Something isn't right_ , Villetta thought to herself as she noticed the dozens and dozens of military officers stuffed inside the room, many of which were Purebloods. There were a handful or regular military personnel as well.

As Villetta made her way over to a spot on the wall, she saw Kewell speaking in hushed tones to another Pureblood. Kewell nodded his head before sending the man away to join the others as he was left standing at the podium alone. Kewell took a minute to look around the room before tapping the microphone. " **Attention, everyone. May I please have everyone's attention? Thank you** ," Kewell said into the mike.

" **Ladies and Gentlemen of the Area Eleven Administration, what I am about to say right now does not leave this building for at least forty-eight hours. It is of the upmost importance that we have have press statements ready and as much information available before this announcement is made public** ," Kewell said.

 _Just get on with it already_ , Villetta thought impatiently as she and several others in the room raised their eyebrows at Kewell's somewhat cryptic and vague statements.

" **It is with sincere regret that I must inform everyone in here that, earlier this morning, Viceroy Prince Clovis la Britannia was found dead in one of our military laboratories, apparently having been killed while overseeing one of our nation's many important projects** ," Kewell said, keeping everything regarding the lab's true purpose a secret, as he himself had no idea what it was actually used for.

Meanwhile, everyone's eyes widened in shock at the news. Whispers and murmurs began spreading around the room as everyone began speculating on who it was that killed Clovis, and how they got away with it. "Was his death an accident or deliberate?" Lieutenant Vincent Conrad asked as he raised a hand.

" **The investigation is still ongoing, but Clovis's death appears to have been deliberate. He was killed by a gunshot to the head, according to the medical examiner's report** ," Kewell replied.

"Was it Zero?" one soldier asked curiously, causing more whispers and murmurs to spread throughout the room.

" **We don't know. Again, the investigation has only begun and evidence is still being collected as we speak** ," Kewell said in a firm and professional tone. " **It is highly important that** _ **none**_ **of this information is released to the public or the press in any way until we have statements ready on Monday** ," Kewell added. " **Now, that being said, we** _ **will**_ **be notifying** _ **The Emperor**_ **about Clovis's death this afternoon. Aside from that, all of your mouths are to remain sealed. Not a word of this is to leave this building until Monday morning** ," Kewell said sternly.

" **Am I clear?** " he asked the crowd. Everyone raised their arms and saluted him in affirmation. " **Good. Now, return to your posts and resume your shifts. I will be meeting with members of the investigation team to collect information and prepare a letter to send to the Emperor** ," Kewell added before stepping away from the podium.

* * *

 **Elsewhere In The Tokyo Concession, One Hour Later...**

Walking down the sidewalk with his hands in his jacket pocket, Suzaku looked around at the changing leaves on the trees. A cool breeze swept through the air as he stopped by a crosswalk and waited for the traffic light to change colors. Inhaling through his nose, Suzaku then slowly exhaled through his mouth.

When the traffic light changed from green to red, Suzaku still made sure to check both ways before crossing as he resumed his trek through the Concession. After a few more minutes of walking, Suzaku found himself passing a series of different eateries. He looked around through his peripheral vision as he noticed various Britannians eyeing him with different expressions and reactions to his presence.

Most of them took one glance at him and just shrugged before going back to whatever they had been doing. Some of them, however, kept sending wary glances at him, while a few had expressions of scorn on their faces as they watched him pass by. Suzaku forced himself to ignore them and just keep moving. As long as he didn't make any effort to approach them, they would most likely leave him alone.

After reaching yet another crosswalk, Suzaku glanced over at the traffic light as he reached for the button on the pole nearby to make sure that the WALK signal would be on when the lights changed. As he reached for the button, another hand reached forward and stopped just centimeters away from his own. Reaching his hand back, Suzaku turned his head to face the person and let them press the button.

Two sets of eyes, both different shades of green, lit up in recognition as they met. Shirley and Suzaku blinked at each other as their memories kicked in, before a smile broke out on Shirley's face. "Suzaku, right?" Shirley asked.

Suzaku nodded his head in confirmation. "Uh, y-yeah. And, um... N-Nina?" Suzaku asked carefully. Shirley shook her head with a chuckle.

"It's Shirley," she corrected him. "But that's okay. I was about to call you ' _Mister Pilot_ ' instead of your name because I... ah, almost forgot it too," Shirley admitted sheepishly.

"Yeah... well, technically, I'm only a _test pilot_ , but that's okay," Suzaku said as he rubbed the back of his head.

"So... what exactly do you test pilot?" she asked him as they waited for the light to turn green.

"Um, I test experimental Knightmares and other military vehicles," Suzaku said vaguely.

"Hm. So, what's the newest experimental machine you're working on right now?" Shirley asked him curiously.

"Well, I don't know if I should be saying this out loud, but... it's a prototype for the first Seventh Generation Knightmare Frame. Its code name is Lancelot," Suzaku said quietly, glancing around the area as he spoke.

"Lancelot? Oh, like _Sir Lancelot_ from the legend of King Arthur?" Shirley asked him in recognition of the name. The legend of King Arthur was a very prominent part of Britannian culture, regardless of its questionable historical accuracy.

"Uh, yeah. Most of the Seventh Generation models are going to be named after figures from that legend, or at least the ones developed by the Camelot Research Team," Suzaku said.

"Oh. So does that mean we'll have a Bedivere model, and a Galahad model?" Shirley asked him curiously.

"Um... actually, I think there _is_ a prototype called the Bedivere in development right now. _But_ , it only got green-lit about seven months ago. At least, that's what Lloyd told me," Suzaku said.

"Lloyd? Who's that?" Shirley asked him curiously with a tilt of her head.

"Oh, Lloyd Asplund. He's the head designer of the Lancelot and the guy in charge of the Camelot Team right now," Suzaku explained. "He's also an Earl," Suzaku added.

"Ah. What's he an Earl of?" Shirley asked him.

"Um... huh. I'm actually not sure," Suzaku said. "At least, not officially. _Unofficially_ , he's known as... the Earl of Pudding," he then said with a smile, just as he noticed the light turn green. "The light's changed. We should get across," he said. Shirley nodded in agreement before joining Suzaku on the crosswalk as they made their way to the other side of the street.

"So, why is Lloyd known as the Earl of Pudding?" Shirley asked Suzaku after they reached the sidewalk.

"Well, it's because pudding is Lloyd's favorite food," Suzaku explained. Shirley tilted her head in an inquisitive manner as she thought about Suzaku's answer.

"Really? That's it?" Shirley asked him curiously. "He's called the Earl of Pudding just because it's his favorite food?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, it's all he's ever seen eating most of the time. Can't say I blame him," Suzaku said with a chuckle. "The stuff's pretty good, no matter what flavor it is."

"Hm, what's your favorite?" Shirley asked him as they walked side-by-side together down the sidewalk. Neither of them noticed the stares being sent their way by some of the Britannians around them. Well, _Shirley_ didn't seem to notice.

"My favorite? You mean my favorite pudding?" Suzaku asked Shirley, for clarification. She nodded her head in affirmation. "Um, are we talking about brands or just flavors?" he asked her for further clarification.

"Just flavors," Shirley clarified. "For instance, _my_ favorite flavors are butterscotch and dark chocolate," she stated. "Of course, I would never mix them. I tried it once and it didn't turn out the way I had hoped," she said with a grimace, sticking her tongue out for extra effect.

Suzaku smiled in response with a shrug of his shoulders. "Hm. Well, despite being a test pilot, I have to say I'm really not that adventurous. In fact, my favorite pudding flavor is just plain old vanilla pudding," Suzaku said. "That being said, I would never turn away a bowl of chocolate pudding either, or pistachio," he added.

"Pistachio? I don't think anyone could ever turn that one away... unless of course they're allergic," Shirley said thoughtfully. Suzaku nodded his head in agreement.

"I also like it because, well... green is my favorite color," Suzaku soon said. Shirley nodded her head in response. A minute later, she started chuckling. "What?" Suzaku asked her curiously.

"Oh, I was just thinking... if green is your favorite color, then you must love looking into mirrors," she said with a snicker. Suzaku raised an eyebrow at her, puzzled by the statement.

"I... I don't get it," he said in confusion.

Shirley shook her head in response. "You have _green eyes_ , so whenever you look into a mirror, you'd be looking at them," she explained. Suzaku blinked at her as he processed her words, before slowly nodding his head in... semi-understanding.

He was still a bit puzzled by Shirley's statement, however. _What do my green eyes have to... oh! Okay, I get the joke now_ , Suzaku finally realized, much to his embarrassment. "I get it now," Suzaku said with an embarrassed chuckle. "That was... kind of clever," he admitted.

"So, what's _your_ favorite color?" Suzaku asked Shirley.

"Purple," Shirley chirped with a smile. Suzaku curtly nodded his head in response.

The pair walked along the sidewalk in a comfortable silence as Shirley took out her phone and accessed the camera function. She stopped walking as she saw a tree on the sidewalk with autumn leaves on it. Suzaku stopped walking as he observed Shirley holding her phone up.

"What'cha doing?" Suzaku asked her curiously.

"I'm taking pictures of trees and landscapes," Shirley replied as she snapped a few photos of the tree before changing her position from standing to crouching and standing again as she maneuvered around the tree for different angles.

"Ah. Is it for a school project?" Suzaku asked her. Shirley shook her head in response.

"No, it's for my phone and computer backgrounds," she explained. "I'm also hoping to print out some of these pictures later when I get back to the campus so I can get them framed and hang them on the wall of my dorm," she elaborated. Suzaku nodded his head in understanding.

"Oh. What school do you go to?" Suzaku asked her.

"Ashford Academy," Shirley replied as she glanced over her shoulder at him. She then returned her attention to her phone as she scrolled through the various pictures she had just taken before pocketing her phone once more. "I'm the captain of the Swim Team and a member of the Student Council," she added.

"Sounds busy," Suzaku commented. Shirley nodded her head in agreement.

"Yeah, but I like being part of the Student Council, and I love swimming," she said with a smile. "So, I don't mind it. Besides, when I do student council stuff, I get to spend time with my friends, like Rivalz, Nina, and Lelouch," Shirley said. Suzaku raised an eyebrow at the second name, but kept his mouth shut.

 _For all I know, the Lelouch she's talking about could just someone else with the same name_ , he thought to himself. He knew better than to get his hopes up. They would only get trampled and stomped upon.

"You've already met Nina, but maybe I should introduce you to the others some time... if I get the chance," Shirley offered. Suzaku shrugged his shoulders in response.

"Whatever you wanna do," he said.

"I'll probably introduce you to Rivalz first, and then Lelouch. Milly is... um, well... she can be kind of eccentric at times. She's also a major pervert," Shirley said. "Or at least she _acts_ like one most of the time," she added with a frown. "Oh! I almost forgot about Lelouch's sister, Nunnally!" Shirley added.

Suzaku blinked with wide eyes at Shirley's statement. _Nunnally? Then it's not just someone else with the same name. He_ _ **did**_ _make it out of Shinjuku alive_ , Suzaku thought to himself. A sense of relief washed over him as he realized that his friend had survived the battle intact. Still, he wanted to play things cool for the time being.

"Well, just let me know when you want me to meet them, and I'll see what my schedule looks like," Suzaku said. "I can't make any promises, however. My schedule is usually pretty full," he added with lament in his voice. Shirley nodded her head in understanding.

"Well, being a soldier, I guess-wait a minute... what school do you go to?" Shirley asked Suzaku curiously as a thought occurred to her.

"Um..." Suzaku trailed off nervously, glancing away from Shirley as he tried to postpone answering the question.

"Do you... do you even _go_ to school?" Shirley asked him in bewilderment.

"Uh... no. I get tutoring at the base, but most of my time is spent either testing Knightmares or I'm on active duty when needed," Suzaku replied sheepishly. Shirley processed his words as she looked at him with small sense of pity and sorrow.

"I see," Shirley finally said, her voice low and tinged with sadness for her new friend. "Well... on days that you have off, just let me know and I'll hang out with you if I have the time," Shirley offered with a sincere smile.

"Uh... okay. Sure," Suzaku said, not accustomed to this kind of... friendliness. "Uh, how exactly would I contact you, though?" he asked her.

"I'll give you my phone number. Do you have something to write with?" Shirley asked him. Suzaku reached into his pocket and pulled out his emergency phone.

"No, this phone is for emergencies. Although..." he trailed off before flipping it open, "I _can_ put your number into it and then hold it there until I get back to the base. Then I can add your number to my other phone and remove it from this one when I'm done."

"That works for me," Shirley said with a smile as she pulled out her phone and looked up her account information. "I knew I should have added myself as a contact number," she said, remembering something that Lelouch had once suggested to her as a joke. "Hold on... okay, here it is," she said with a sigh as she finally located her own phone number.

Suzaku listened intently as he added Shirley to his contact list. "While we're at it, do you wanna add me to your contact list? I have my other phone's number in this one as a contact," Suzaku suggested.

"Sure," Shirley chirped. Suzaku smiled briefly before telling Shirley his regular phone number, keeping the emergency phone's number to himself. It was, after all, meant for emergencies and calls directly from either the A.S.E.E.C. or the regular military officials.

"Okay, I've got it," Shirley said before pocketing her phone, prompting Suzaku to do the same. "So, with that out of the way, um... when do you have to be back at the base today?" Shirley asked Suzaku.

"Today's my day off, so I can return anytime as long as it's before curfew," he answered with a smile.

"Oh! I guess that means you have pretty much all day to yourself then," Shirley noted. Suzaku nodded his head in confirmation. "Well then, wanna just hang out for the rest of the day?" she asked him with a smile.

Not being accustomed to this sort of friendliness from anyone other than Cecile and sometimes Lloyd, Suzaku was slightly thrown off balance. It didn't help matters that the person showing him this friendliness was a very attractive girl around his age, but he quickly regained his momentum and nodded his head. "Sure. I think I'd like that," he said with a smile, hiding his nervousness. "Although, I should warn you that I didn't bring much money with me. I was planning on simply exercising most of the day," he admitted.

"That's okay. I didn't plan on doing much more than taking pictures and maybe grabbing a bite to eat somewhere," Shirley responded with a shrug of her shoulders. "So... there's a small park not too far from here with a lot of trees," Shirley suggested. "There's also a small pizza place not too far from the park. We could go there for a bite after I've gotten the pictures I need," Shirley said.

"Sounds good to me," Suzaku said, trying to be as agreeable as possible. He didn't want to risk offending or alienating Shirley, especially not out in public.

"Alrighty then! Just follow me," Shirley said with a smile as she gestured for Suzaku to follow her. Suzaku nodded his head and walked alongside Shirley as she led the way to the park.

* * *

 **Deep In The Abandoned Knightmare Development Laboratories Underneath Ashford Academy, Area 11, Sunday, October 15, 2017 ATB**

Standing next to the video camera tripod and the recording equipment, Lelouch frowned as he inspected the gears of the tripod. They were old, very old, but they seemed to be holding in place just fine. Attempting to jiggle the camera, Lelouch's frown became a neutral line on his face before turning into a small smile. The camera held steady.

Looking over at C.C., who was dressed up in her Zero outfit, sans the helmet, Lelouch nodded his head. "It works," he said to her. C.C. nodded her head in response.

"But... Cee-Two, are you sure you don't want to at least go through the Project R files one last time? I mean, make sure there's nothing that can be used to identify you and trace you back here?" Lelouch asked her with concern in his voice. "Once we upload that stuff to the internet... there's no going back," he added.

"I am aware of that," C.C. said as she held her Zero helmet in her gloved hands. "But it must be done," she added. "Clovis and Bartley's crimes must be made known to the world for our actions to be accepted. Otherwise, Zero will only be seen as an opportunistic killer and possible glory hound, since we still haven't done much else to raise awareness," C.C. continued.

Lelouch nodded his head in understanding before pulling a rolled up paper out of his back pants pocket. "So, do you still have your copy of the script I wrote for you?" Lelouch asked her as he unrolled the paper in his hands. He had spent much of the previous night writing and rewriting the script for this video message.

Just when he would think that the words and statements he had chosen were perfect, he would read them out loud to himself and realize how things that sounded cool in his head didn't sound that way out loud. He had gone through at least seven drafts of the script before completing the current one that he and C.C. had agreed to use for their video message. Despite debuting in front of the police in Shinjuku, Zero had yet to make any official statement to the world itself.

"Yes, I still have it," C.C. replied. "Don't worry, I made sure to memorize it," she added. "By the way, Lelouch? I think these underground labs would probably work as the hidden HQ for the Black Knights," C.C. said. Lelouch nodded his head in agreement.

"Yes, but we have to see how far out they go and inspect them for security devices. We can't risk tripping some random sensor that might alert the military," Lelouch said with a frown.

"And after the labs have been swept?" C.C. asked him.

"Then we'll start moving everything down here and setting up a proper base of operations. However... I do still have a few favors owed to me by some nobles that need to call in," Lelouch replied with a smirk. "Give me a week and Sayoko will have this place inspected from top to bottom," he added.

"The ninja maid?" C.C. asked him. Lelouch nodded his head with a grin.

"Oh yes. Before you ask, she knows about Zero and the Black Knights," Lelouch said to her, prompting the green-haired woman to raise an eyebrow in curiosity. "On the night of the Orange Incident, she caught me in my Zero outfit when I tried sneaking back into the clubhouse," he explained.

"What about Nunnally? How much does she know?" C.C. asked him. Lelouch frowned in response to the question.

"She doesn't know anything," he said. "I'd like to keep it that way as long as possible. For the time being, she thinks I'm out gambling whenever I disappear," he added with a hint of guilt in his voice.

"She'll find out eventually, Lelouch. One way or another, she'll discover the truth," C.C. said firmly as she fixed Lelouch with a hard stare. Lelouch inhaled before averting his gaze to the floor.

Letting out a sigh, Lelouch resigned himself to accepting C.C.'s statement. "Fine. Anyway, let's get this video recorded. We'll need to burn this onto a DVD and make copies once we're done, and that's gonna take a few hours," Lelouch said as he grabbed a chair and started patting it to get the dust off.

C.C. smirked at Lelouch before tucking in her hair and putting on her helmet. Walking over to Lelouch as he dusted off the swivel chair, C.C. took in his attire. He was wearing the standard Ashford Academy uniform instead of his Zero costume.

" **So, tell me again why you don't want to wear the suit for this?** " Zero-2 asked Lelouch. He looked up at her and his somber expression told C.C. everything she needed to know. Despite his acceptance of Clovis's death being necessary and very much deserved, he was still conflicted about it.

"Boasting about killing Clovis just... I just don't know if I can do that right now. At least, not with the conviction that Zero needs to make this work," Lelouch explained to her. "There's just this part of me that still feels guilty over what I did, even though I _know_ Clovis deserved it. Perhaps it's just the part of me that still remembers the time we spent together at the Aries Villa, the small part of me that is still Lelouch _vi Britannia_ and not Lelouch _Lamperouge_. I don't really know how else to explain it," he elaborated with a frown.

C.C. nodded her head in understanding before Lelouch still up and presented the chair to her. She grabbed the back of the chair and spun it around before wheeling it over to the middle of the room and placing it in the center. When Lelouch returned to the camera, C.C. sat down in the chair and waited for the signal. It was time to prepare Zero's first true public message.

* * *

 **Ashford Academy, Monday Morning, October 16, 2017 ATB**

Walking into the first class of the day, Lelouch sat down at his desk and sighed. Walking up to him, Rivalz leaned over to look him in the eyes. "Hey, you okay there?" Rivalz asked Lelouch with concern in his voice. Lelouch nodded his head in response.

"You sure?" Rivalz asked him, not entirely convinced. "I mean, you were out of sorts all day Saturday, and on Sunday you just disappeared," he said with a worried expression. "Are you _sure_ you're okay?" Rivalz asked him again.

"I'm _fine_ , Rivalz," Lelouch said a bit too firmly. "Just go sit down. It's a personal problem," Lelouch added. "I'll get over it eventually, just give me some space," he then requested, his eyes hardened in a manner that told Rivalz to leave well enough alone.

Rivalz nodded his head slowly. "Yeah. Sure thing," he said carefully as he walked over to his desk and sat down, glancing over at Lelouch with concern in his eyes. He decided that he would speak to either Milly or Nunnally later to see if they could give him some answers, since those two always seemed to know what Lelouch was thinking. Then again, after their breakup, Milly and Lelouch weren't quite as close as they used to be. _I'm sure he'll talk about it when he's ready_ , Rivalz told himself internally.

As the rest of the class filed into the room, Rivalz noticed Cecile Carmack sitting down in her seat. During the few occasions that he had run into her over the weekend, Rivalz had suspected that something was off about her as well, but given how the girl usually behaved, he couldn't be sure. As the last of their classmates entered the room and took their seats, the teacher, a middle-aged man named Arnold Wellington, was speaking on the phone, just as the bell for first period rang.

"But why so early in the day?" Mr. Wellington asked into the phone as he spoke with Headmaster Reuben Ashford. Mr. Wellington nodded his head as he rolled his eyes. "Fine, I'll turn it on until the announcement is over," he said before hanging up the phone. He then grabbed the remote for the TV hanging in the corner of the room and turned it on as he switched to the Britannian News Network.

"Attention, class, I've just received word that there's a very important announcement to be made from the Viceroy's Palace and it has been made mandatory for everyone to view it if capable," Mr. Wellington said to his students. "Tragically, we _are_ capable of doing so," he added.

Lelouch looked up from his desk as he saw the News Anchors speaking while Mr. Wellington turned up the volume for the TV. " _And we now bring you live to the Viceroy's Palace, where Margrave Kewell Soresi is preparing to address the citizens of Area Eleven_ ," the female anchor said as a window with Soresi's face filled up the screen, showing the man standing behind a podium in a large room.

" _Ladies and gentlemen of the Holy Britannian Empire, it is my most somber of duties to inform everyone today that Viceroy Prince Clovis la Britannia, Third Prince of the Realm, was found dead Saturday morning_ ," Kewell said into several microphones. Several students gasped in shock, while Lelouch simply watched with half-lidded eyes.

" _An investigation is underway as I speak, and evidence regarding the culprit is still being analyzed. Currently, we have a list of suspects, but until we have enough evidence to verify which one it is, I am afraid we must remain tight-lipped so as to keep the spread of confidential information as low as possible. With that being said, we_ _ **will**_ _find the culprit responsible for the murder of Prince Clovis, and justice will be served!_ " Kewell continued.

" _Prince Clovis's body has been prepared and shipped to Pendragon where the Emperor will oversee the funeral arrangements in the coming weeks_ ," Kewell added. " _We will now field questions from the Press Corps_ ," Kewell said. He pointed to a woman hidden by the cameras as he hand held up a microphone.

" _Tell us, Margrave Soresi, do you suspect the figure known as Zero to be among the list of suspects?_ " she asked him. Kewell sighed in response.

" _That person is among the list, but that is all I can say for now_ ," Kewell replied before he pointed to another reporter. Mr. Wellington then shut the TV off. "Okay, announcement's over. Time to begin today's lesson," he said as he turned to face his class. "All discussion regarding the public announcement will have to wait until after class," he added sternly after he noticed various students whispering to each other.

Meanwhile, Lelouch looked down at his wristwatch as he counted down to the next big announcement. After C.C.'s awakening on Saturday, Lelouch had spent most of the day coming to terms with his execution of his half-brother. On Sunday, he and C.C. had decided to use his access to the government servers to find as many files related to Project R as possible before the Britannians could begin updating the security for their servers.

Following the accumulation of that data, they both grabbed some video equipment and found a secluded location deep within the underground Knightmare development labs that were connected to Ashford Academy. With C.C. wearing her Zero outfit, they had recorded a message for the Britannian Empire, burned it to a series of DVDs along with a portion of the Project R files, and then had those DVDs sent out to various news organizations, the Viceroy's Palace, and even a few news outlets found in other nations. The entirety of the accumulated Project R files had then been uploaded onto multiple file-sharing websites on the internet, waiting for the masses to find them.

It as now only a matter of time before the messages on those DVDs were aired for the general populace, and Zero's newest message was broadcast to the world.

* * *

 **The Government Borough, The Tokyo Concession, Area 11...**

The moment Kewell Soresi entered his office, he found himself answering his cell phone, much to his consternation. "Hello?" he asked into the phone. " _Margrave Soresi, we have just received a package for you, along with a note. It is... disturbing_ ," said the voice of the secretary in the main office of the Borough.

"What does it say?" Kewell asked her. " _It says... From Zero With Love_ ," the secretary read aloud. Kewell's eyes twitched in response. "Have security analyze the package for signs of explosives or dangerous chemicals," Kewell ordered. " _Right away, sir_ ," the secretary replied before hanging up.

As soon as Kewell hung up the phone, it rang again. This time, it came from security. "Well, that was _fast_ ," Kewell said with disbelief in his voice. "Hello, this is Kewell," Kewell said into the phone. " _Margrave Soresi, tune into the news right now! It seems that all of the media outlets have received pacakges from Zero!_ " a panicked voice said.

Kewell's eyes widened before he turned on the TV in his office and watched the BNN. " _...was left for us this morning, and now we have decided to air its contents_ ," a news anchor said. Kewell watched the video play out with bewilderment as the screen showed Zero sitting in a chair in a darkened room with a spotlight on him.

" _ **Greetings, citizens of Britannia, Area Eleven, and the rest of the world. As many of you are probably already aware, Prince Clovis la Britannia is dead**_ ," Zero spoke through their helmet. Kewell immediately noticed that something about the voice seemed... _different_ from what he had heard during the Orange Incident. He shrugged it off as being a result of hearing a recording of the voice instead of hearing it in person.

" _ **And as many of you are probably correctly guessing, the same hands which took the life of General Bartley Asprius also took the life of Clovis la Britannia. Those hands, my hands, have delivered justice. For those of you who are curious, clues to Clovis's crimes have been stored on the DVD containing this pre-recorded video, which by the time you are watching it, has been sent to numerous news groups and even the Government Borough of Area Eleven itself, along with multiple addresses outside of the Area, including Australia, the Euro Union, and even the Chinese Federation**_ ," Zero said before standing up.

All throughout Area 11, people watching the news stared in shock at the video being played on whatever TV they were watching. As Zero continued their speech, people stared wide-eyed at this masked figure and soaked up their words. They were speechless as they listened to Zero's words and tried to process the meaning of what they meant for the future.

" _ **Do not mourn for Prince Clovis. He was a vain and arrogant monster, and his death was an act of justice! His crimes? Many, but at the top of the list is illegal human experimentation in the vain pursuit of eternal life! And how do I know this? I know this for I have seen the evidence of these illegal experiments myself!**_ " Zero proclaimed with unrestrained anger and ferocity in their voice, raising a gloved fist into the air for the camera. Kewell's jaw dropped at Zero's audacity.

" _ **Evidence which is contained in the files that I have uploaded in their entirety to multiple file-sharing websites on the internet and to the e-mail accounts of multiple leaders throughout the world! Files that are no doubt being erased by Britannian government officials as we speak from the labs where these experiments took place! The truth will not be hidden! It will be seen by all, and Clovis's true legacy of deceit and corruption will at last be exposed to the world!**_ " Zero proclaimed firmly.

Kewell watched in bile fascination as Zero continued their speech, as did hundreds of other members of the government and military stationed throughout Area 11. " _ **The path of justice does not end with Clovis, however. Britannia itself must be held accountable for all of its crimes, and I, ZERO, will be the one to show Britannia its ugly face in the mirror! Those who abuse their power and prey upon the weak, FEAR ME! For my journey on the path of justice has only just begun! To those who wish to stop me... I wish you good luck. You'll need it**_ ," Zero finished with a slight chuckle while bringing their gloved fist back toward their torso as they performed a curt bow just before the video ended.

All around Area 11, the Britannian government and its citizens began to realize the true gravity of the situation. This masked lunatic, Zero, had basically just announced an open declaration of war on Britannia. But unknown to the confused Britannian populace, the revolution hadn't just begun; it was _already_ underway.

* * *

 **ENDING THEME:** _ **A Kind Of Magic**_ **, by Queen.**

* * *

 **PREVIEW OF NEXT TIME**

Next time on _Two Steps Forward, One Step Backward_ , Lelouch spends 2 weeks screwing with the Purebloods before the new Viceroy arrives in Area 11, while the JLF and the Six Houses of Kyoto continue their investigation of Zero as tensions begin to rise within the ranks of the JLF.

* * *

Author's Notes: And that was Chapter 08! It actually turned out a bit different from how I had planned it. Originally, I _did_ plan on having one of the Black Knights threaten Lelouch with a gun after learning his identity, but I decided not to go there after re-reading the previous couple chapters I wrote and seeing how I had the Black Knights come to terms with Zero being Britannian, as well as their acceptance of C.C. as Zero-2.

On another note, the next chapter will feature the introduction of Euphemia, who will be somewhat different from her Canon counterpart in several ways. She'll be less naive, more cunning, and... well, she'll certainly take some influence from _A Cold Calculus_ by Z98, which is a fascinating retelling of Code Geass with Euphemia as the main protagonist.

I, Anguirus1955, command you... let me know what you think of the chapter and/or story so far in your reviews!

I would also love to know what people think of the differences between Canon Lelouch and Two Steps Lelouch so far, as well as their feelings on the differences between other Two Steps characters and their Canon counterparts.

* * *

 **SPECIAL BONUS OMAKE**

"Attention Black Knights, this is Zero. We have returned to the rendezvous point with Zero-Two in our custody. You may exit your Knightmares if you wish, for I am calling a short ground meeting between everyone. It will be brief, but important," Lelouch said.

" _Understood. Good to have you back, Zero. K-One out_ ," Ohgi said over the radio. Reclining back in his seat, Lelouch took a deep breath before exhaling slowly and putting on his helmet once more. " **Keep the engine running, Q-One. This won't take too long** ," Lelouch said as he unbuckled his seat belt and opened the door, stepping out onto the grass and dirt outside before marching toward the tree line.

As he walked forward, Lelouch soon saw the forms of the Black Knights emerging from the trees, highlighted by the lights of the jeep. Once they were all standing in place, he slowly raised his his and to his helmet and pressed the button to deactivate it, causing it to fold on itself as he slowly lowered from his head. As he stood before them, he scanned their faces to see their expressions as they took in his true face. For a minute, there was only silence between the Black Knights and their leader as they took in his face.

They looked at him.

And he looked at them.

And they looked at _him_.

And he looked at _them_.

And the looked at _him!_

And he looked at _them!_

And they looked at _HIM!_

And he looked at _THEM!_

 _And she looked at HIM!_

 _And he looked at THEM!_

 _AND THEY LOOKED AT HIM!_

 _AND HE LOOKED AT THEM!_

 _AND THEY LOOKED AT_ _ **HIM!**_

 _AND HE LOOKED AT_ _ **THEM!**_

 _ **AND THEY LOOKED AT HIM!**_

 _ **AND HE LOOKED AT THEM!**_

Finally, Tamaki broke that silence. "You're one... _ugly_ motherfucker."


	9. Under New Management

**CODE GEASS: Two Steps Forward, One Step Backward**

By Anguirus1955

Disclaimer: Code Geass is the intellectual property of Studio Sunrise.

All right... in this chapter, I finally get to introduce Euphemia. The Euphemia of _Two Steps Forward_ will retain her good-hearted nature from canon, but she'll be a bit more shrewd and calculating, in addition to being more cunning. She'll still be idealistic, but she won't be as open about it in public as she was in canon. Yes, the Euphemia from _A Cold Calculus_ is an influence, but only in the most basic of ways. Essentially, reading about a more cunning and calculating Euphemia inspired me to do something similar, albeit not to the same extent as Z98 did for their story.

Also, in this story, Euphemia is 19 years old instead of 16, thus making her appointment as the new Viceroy of Area 11 a bit more believable than if I were to stick with her canon age. It also means that any relationship she has with Suzaku will remain mostly professional for a rather significant portion of the story until we near the final dozen chapters. Also, this version of Euphemia has had some defense training from her sister and General Andreas Darlton, meaning that she is proficient in the use of small arms such as pistols and SMGs, but not much else. She is, after all, Cornelia's sister.

Out of curiosity, is it ever established just what ethnicity Villetta is in the canon series? Can anyone tell me either in a review or in a private message? Either one would be appreciated.

As with all stories that I write, I listen to music while writing to help myself get into a groove or to help myself capture certain feelings while writing. It can help inspire me sometimes. Music that I listened to while writing this chapter include _Code Geass OST_ 1 - 2 (2006 - 2007) by Kotaro Nakagawa, _Code Geass: Akito The Exile OST 1 - 2_ (2013 - 2016) by Ichiko Hashimoto, _The Fifth Element_ (1997) by Eric Serra, and _Halo 2 Anniversary Original Soundtrack_ (2014) by Martin O'Donnell & Michael Salvatori with new recordings by Skywalker Sound.

Please note that listening to this music while reading the story is _**not**_ a requirement. I simply provide this as a little something extra to help enhance the reading experience, if you the readers so wish to do so. Most of this music can be found and heard on YouTube or any number of anime soundtrack websites.

Sudden and Suspicious Disclaimer: I also advocate the purchasing and obtaining of official soundtracks through legal means.

Music From _Code Geass OST 1 - 2_ (2006 - 2007): _Cold Nobility_ , _Invisible Sound_ , _Feel Ambivalents_ , _Occupied Thinking_ ,

Music From _Akito The Exiled OST 1 - 2_ (2013 - 2016): _Unspoken World_ , _Speculations_ , _Knightmare on the Highway_ , _Mythic Heritage_ ,

Music From _The Fifth Element OST_ (1997): _Korben Dallas_ , _Koolen_ , _Badaboom_ , _Heat_ , _Time Crash_.

Music From _Halo 2 Anniversary OST_ (2014): _Not A Number_ , _Into The Belly of The Beast_ , _Skyline_ , _Unsullied Memory_ , _Steward, Shepherd, Lonely Soul_.

 **Track Order Listing - All After Opening Theme And Before Ending Theme**

 **01**. _Korben Dallas_ (Thursday evening), **02**. _Knightmare on the Highway_ (Babel Tower raid), **03**. _Skyline_ (Helicopter landing), **04**. _Promise the Girl_ (Suzaku and Jeremiah meet Euphie), **05**. _Feel Ambivalents_ (Euphemia and Kewell), **06**. _Occupied Thinking_ (JLF and Kyoto meeting), **07**. _Unsullied Memory_ (Katase's decision), **08**. _Steward, Shepherd, Lonely Soul_ (Conversation in World of C).

 **Music After Ending Theme**

 **09**. _Into The Belly Of The Beast_.

* * *

 **OPENING THEME:** _ **Blow Me Away**_ **(By Breaking Benjamin)**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 09: Under New Management**

* * *

 **Babel Tower, Tokyo Concession, Area 11, Thursday Evening, October 19, 2017 ATB**

Babel Tower was known throughout Area 11 as one of the _premier_ casinos and commercial plaza complexes, with at least sixty floors above ground and three under ground. The building contained lavish ball rooms and dance floors, a boxing/wrestling arena on the fifth floor, numerous bars spread through multiple floors, a strip club on the 18th floor, numerous penthouses on floors 26, 27, 28, 34, 36, 39, 41, 42, 44, 53, and 47, all of which belonged to members of the nobility. There were also multiple businesses which rented various floors of the building at agreeable prices, and then there were the underground floors which held enormous storage rooms for everything ranging from crates of fine beverages to Knightmare Frames. The floors also held special rooms used by shady business for the storage and dealing of various narcotics, human trafficking, and black market weapon sales.

The building was practically owned by criminal enterprises, however, although the generous tax contributions made by the owners to the administration of the Tokyo Concession often made their activities disappear in the eyes of anyone looking at them. The occasional police sweep of a designated clean floor would yield nothing, and the rare police sweep of an undesignated floor would always result in only a small fine for the most trivial of violations. And then things would return to normal.

Presently, the patrons and guests of Babylon Tower were going about their usual routines, as were the staff of the various business held within the building. Unknown to any of them, however, a Special Operative Action Police unit was about to change all of that. At approximately 17:20 hours local time, the Britannian Police had received a message from the Government Borough regarding the confirmed presence of a masked revolutionary named Zero inside the tower.

The message had been sent from e-mail account of Margrave Kewell Soresi, after he had received an e-mail from an anonymous staff member at Babylon Tower the previous day stating that Zero had been seen frequenting the building on multiple occasions, and that the masked figure was going to be engaging in a chess match with a man known as the Black King on the 58th floor of the building at 19:00 hours, or 07:00 pm. Kewell had quickly and quietly organized a large-scale operation in under 24 hours to prepare to capture, sending in an undercover operative ahead of time to scout for Zero's presence and report back to him.

The operative had, of course, confirmed that Zero was inside the building and was being treated most courteously by the staff after giving them generous amounts of money in a back room.

Now, at almost 18:50 hours, three helicopters carrying SOAP officers with suppressed carbines and and SMGs were approaching the roof of the building, while numerous SOAP vans were entering the lower floors through tunnels connected to the main roads on the outskirts of the Settlement. They were all armed and ready to kill the moment they were given the order. Every single one of them was waiting for the chance to take down Zero and avenge Prince Clovis... and hopefully attain a nice promotion for their efforts.

Meanwhile, three blocks away from the building, Lelouch Lamperouge walked away from a counter at a cafe while sipping of his vanilla cappuccino while he glanced down at his watch. He had put plenty of distance between himself and Babel Tower in the time since he had used his Geass on the undercover officer, and now he was waiting for the show to begin. As he walked out the front door of the cafe, he glanced over his shoulder to look at the tower against the darkened sky above, with clouds in the background. Looking away from the tower in the distance, Lelouch noticed a giant TV screen built onto the front of a building nearby, showing the evening news.

Taking out his phone, he called Kallen. " _Hello?_ " Kallen asked as she answered the phone. "Hey, Kallen, it's Lelouch. I just wanted to you know that there might be something interesting being reported on the evening news tonight. Something involving Babel Tower," Lelouch said with a smirk as he glanced down at his watch again.

* * *

 **The Stadtfeld Estate...**

Kallen raised an eyebrow as she listened to Lelouch over the phone. "Um... okay," she said, somewhat curious. "Are we talking about the tower being mentioned in a report or is something bigger gonna happen?" Kallen asked him as she lied back on her bed, glancing over at her bedroom door to make sure that it was still closed.

" _Well... let's just say that I'm gonna be sending the Britannian police and the Purebloods on a wild goose chase. They'll be hounding for Zero's blood, after all, and they'll take any chance to capture or kill Zero_ ," Lelouch explained over the phone.

Kallen slowly nodded her head in understanding, before the full implications of Lelouch's words hit her. "You're sending them to Babel Tower on a false lead. But... how did you manage _that?_ " she asked him, perplexed.

" _I've already told you that I have access to the government's network servers thanks to using a certain ability on a certain someone_ ," Lelouch said, causing Kallen to remember his words back at the lab when they had rescued C.C. from Clovis. "Right. Gotcha," Kallen said in understanding.

"So, when's the next big meeting?" she then asked Lelouch. " _Not for another few weeks. I need to see how our recruitment is going. With Monday's big announcement, that should have gotten more than a few people to take notice and want to join, but for the time being... I'd like to lay a little low and just lead the Britannians on wild goose chases while our new HQ is being prepared and cleaned up. I'll show it to you after school on Friday or... I guess, Saturday if you're free_ ," Lelouch replied over the phone.

"A new HQ? Where is it?" Kallen asked him curiously, her interest now piqued. " _It's... underground. Cee-Two and I are still exploring it, as it is_ _ **quite**_ _extensive. It's not under the Tokyo Concession, but it's close enough that we can move around undetected so long as we're careful. There are actually a few entrances connected to the sewer systems. It's really quite big for a former Knightmare development facility_ ," Lelouch said quietly. Kallen raised her eyebrows at his words.

" _Look, I think I've said enough out loud. Anyway, I'm making my way back to Ashford right now and this-ack! Shit! Shit!_ " Lelouch cried out over the phone. Kallen's eyes widened and she bolted up from the bed. "Lelouch, what's wrong!?" she asked worriedly.

" _I spilt my fucking cappuccino on myself!_ " Lelouch explained painfully. Kallen blinked a few times before she started to giggle. "Y-You... [giggle] you spilt your... [giggle] c-cappuccino? Were you trying to drink it while talking?" Kallen asked him.

" _Yes!_ " Lelouch replied excitedly over the phone.

"Well, serves ya right! Don't you know it's _rude_ to eat or drink while talking with someone on the phone?" Kallen asked him with a snicker.

" _Uh-huh. Whatever_ ," Lelouch replied grumpily over the phone. " _I'll talk to you after I get back to Ashford and get cleaned up. Bye_ ," Lelouch said before hanging up the phone. Kallen looked at the phone in her hands before rolling her eyes and snorting as she imagined Lelouch's current predicament.

 _And this is the guy who saved our asses in Shinjuku. What a world_ , Kallen thought to herself before she lied back on the bed.

* * *

 **Meanwhile, Back At Babel Tower...**

As the clocks hit 19:00 hours, the patrons of Babel Tower found themselves experiencing the shock of a lifetime as armored police officers burst into the building. SOAP officers hurried through corridors as they made their way to the main game room on the 58th floor of the building. Charging into the room, at least 18 officers held up their weapons and ordered everyone to freeze.

Sitting in a chair near in front of a table with a chess set, Marlon Hargrove, aka the Black King, opened his mouth in shock as the SOAP officers surrounded him and his clients, aiming guns at them and barking orders. " _Don't move! Stay right where you are!_ " one of the officers barked as the Black King raised his hands in protest.

The Black King's opponent, a middle-aged aristocrat with dark red hair, also held his hands up with his mouth agape. The SOAP officers pressed numerous staff and patrons against the walls and floors as they checked them for weapons. "W-What is going on here!?" the Black King asked indignantly.

" _Where's Zero!?_ " one of the SOAP officers asked him. The Black King blinked in confusion. " _I said, where's Zero!?_ " the officer repeated.

"W-What!?" he finally asked the officer in return, bewilderment and confusion underlying every syllable. Why the hell were these people asking _him_ for Zero's location? How would _he_ know anything about that?

" _Where is he!? Where's Zero!?_ " the officer demanded yet again, aiming his carbine at the Black King's chest. The Black King just stared at him in bewilderment.

All throughout the building, SOAP officers scoured the floors and various rooms for signs of the masked revolutionary, only to come up empty-handed. Not one person could be identified as Zero. Every person who was questioned about Zero's presence would give the same reply of not knowing anything.

On one floor, a pair of officers broke into a storage room to find two female office workers going down on each other 69 style, but no trace of Zero. Another room would yield an illicit drug deal taking place, but again with no signs of Zero. On yet another floor, the illegal trade of banned firearms was found taking place, and yet there were still no signs of Zero.

As the officers continued making their way through the building, eventually reaching the main security center, something started to seem amiss. While there was plenty of evidence of other criminal activities taking place inside the building, there was no evidence to support the claim that Zero had ever been inside the building. As the building was swept floor by floor, it was becoming increasingly clear that if Zero had definitely left long before the SOAP officers had arrived, and that was _if_ Zero had even been in the building at all.

Eventually, after reaching the security center, the task of combing through security footage to find Zero's location and confirm his presence became a top priority. As the hours passed, however, it became increasingly clear that Zero had never been inside the building to begin with, leaving everyone extremely confused. As the reports were sent to the mobile command vehicles waiting some distance away, a young man with black hair and violet eyes was congratulating himself on a prank well done.

* * *

 **The Government Borough, Tokyo Concession, Friday, October 27, 2017 ATB**

Sitting at his desk, Kewell Soresi looked at the latest report with a frown. Once again, he had ordered police and troops to investigate another Zero sighting, only to turn up nothing. Five times this had happened now, and each incident was becoming increasingly frustrating to Kewell. This Zero was making a fool out of him, but he couldn't just ignore a sighting of the masked terrorist. If he did, and Zero got away, then his reputation would be ruined.

Ever since the Babel Tower incident, Kewell had been finding himself and his administration becoming the butt of a joke. Zero was toying with them, letting himself be seen in various places only to disappear without a trace. And the worst part was that every time an undercover operative would confirm Zero's presence, they would somehow forget the entire thing when they were questioned. It happened every single time, and Kewell was finding himself frustrated to no end because of it.

There was no doubt that Zero _had_ been at those places, since the memory loss experienced by the undercover operatives matched that of Jeremiah Gottwald and Villetta Nu following their own encounters with Zero, but how was Zero escaping without detection? Even the security footage from Babel Tower the previous week showed no sign of Zero being there, despite the fact that the undercover operative had indeed confirmed the man's presence. Again, the operative's memory loss only provided further proof, but it seemed that the security cameras and other devices had been tampered with by Zero, much like those of the military lab where Clovis had been killed.

 _Zero is making a mockery of us. He's leading us in circles on wild goose chases and setting us up for embarrassment time and time again!_ Kewell was then snapped out of his thoughts by the ringing of his desk phone. Picking up the phone, he held up it to his ear and mouth.

"Hello, this is Margrave Kewell Soresi speaking. How may I be of assistance?" Kewell asked into the receiver, doing his best to hide his frustrations. " _Hello, Margrave Soresi_ ," a firm male voice said over the speaker.

"Um... who is this?" Kewell asked as he looked at the caller ID displayed on the small screen built into the phone's holding console. It was a private number. " _This is Lieutenant Dexter Simmons. I am currently escorting your new Viceroy to Area Eleven. I trust that the notice which was sent to you on Monday has been received and observed?_ " Simmons asked him politely.

Kewell raised an eyebrow as he scanned his desk before waking up his computer and accessing his mail. He soon found the E-mail detailing the arrival of the new Viceroy's arrival and requests for security arrangements. "Uh, y-yes. I have it right here. Um, how far out are you at this time? I mean, I don't want to send someone to the pickup zone too early and tip off any outsiders, you know?" Kewell asked, trying to play things cool.

" _We'll be arriving at McCallister Base in two hours. Please have the requested escort vehicles and personnel waiting for us when we arrive_ ," Simmons said firmly over the phone. Kewell nodded his head eagerly, despite knowing that Simmons couldn't see him. "Of course. I'll send them out there right away," Kewell said as he looked at the E-Mail again.

" _Good. The Viceroy looks forward to seeing you later today. Simmons out_ ," Simmons said before hanging up the phone. Kewell then placed the phone back on the holder and looked at the E-Mail frantically. He quickly used speed-dial to call Villetta Nu. Despite her ethnic handicap and origin as being commoner-born, she was a loyal soldier who followed orders without question.

" _This is Villetta Nu speaking, how may I_ -" "Lieutenant, I have an assignment for you," Kewell interrupted her. "I am sending you an E-Mail with all of the information you need. I recommend printing it out and reading the details closely. You will need to be at McCallister Base in under ninety minutes to receive our new Viceroy," Kewell said.

" _Y-Yes, Margrave Soresi_ ," Villetta replied, clearly overwhelmed. "Good. Now, keep in mind, Lieutenant, the new Viceroy wants their arrival to be low-key and not draw any attention," Kewell added. " _I understand, Margrave. Is there anything else required of me?_ " Villetta asked over the phone.

"Negative. Just follow your orders and return with the Viceroy after they arrive. That will be all," Kewell said before hanging up and forwarding the E-Mail to Villetta. After a few minutes, he allowed himself to recline in his chair and let out a sigh of relief. "Wait a minute... " Kewell said to himself before he inspected the E-Mail again.

"This doesn't say anything about the new Viceroy's identity. How the hell am I suppose to prepare a proper greeting for them when I don't even know their name?" Kewell asked himself in dismay. "Wait... I'll have Lieutenant Nu call me and inform me of the Viceroy's identity when they arrive. Simple as that," Kewell said to himself in relief at his plan.

* * *

 **Two Hours Later, McCallister Base...**

Holding an umbrella up, Villetta Nu watched as a helicopter slowly descended to the landing pad. Villetta looked around at the various personnel moving about the rain as one of them waved light sticks to aid the helicopter pilots as they brought the metal bird down to the pad. She still had no idea who the new Viceroy was, but she completely understood the desire for a low-key arrival. Announcing their presence would just entice terrorists to try assassinating them, and with Zero still on the loose, it was better to be safe than sorry.

As the helicopter slowly put down, Villetta tightened her grip on the umbrella as she watched the rotor blades begin slowing down. It was an agonizing wait, although as luck would have it, the rain began to let up, but it appeared that the new Viceroy wouldn't be exiting the vehicle until the blades had stopped moving. As the moments passed, Villetta soon heard a strange tapping sound. She looked around to see what could be making the noise, until she felt a sensation in her left leg. Looking down, she saw her left foot tapping the ground impatiently before she stopped it. She then mentally berated herself for her behavior until the doors of the helicopter finally slid open.

One by one, sets of boots hopped out and splashed onto the puddles of water below them before marching away as the bodies they belonged to carried duffel bags. The men were wearing standard security outfits, and were armed with MP5K SMGs. Villetta watched the black boots of the soldiers hit the water on the pad, two boots at a time and five seconds between each set, until a lone heel descended, attached to a slender calf, which hit the water gently before it was followed by another one.

Villetta's eyes followed the length of the calf upward until she saw a dark blue business skirt and suit. Villetta soon saw pink hair cascading over the shoulders of the suit, framing a young female face with violet eyes. The girl couldn't have been older than 19 or 20 at the most, but there was a gaze in her eyes that demanded obedience. Villetta quickly realized who she was looking at. Standing before her was Princess Euphemia li Britannia, younger sister of Cornelia li Britannia.

Villetta briefly wondered if she should bow before Euphemia, before she saw the girl reached back into the helicopter and retrieve a duffel bag of her own and carry it the same way as her security detail. Euphemia smiled at her with a curt nod before marching over to Villetta and the armored van behind her. "Greetings... Lieutenant Nu," Euphemia said as she noticed the rank insignia on the lapel of Villetta's uniform and her small name tag.

"Greetings... Viceroy," Villetta replied tersely and nervously, hoping that using Euphemia's new administrative title was the best way to address the princess. Euphemia nodded her head curtly in response before reaching for the back passenger door handle of the van. Villetta quickly spun and grabbed the handle to open it herself. "M-My apologies, Viceroy. I should have opened that before you reached the door," Villetta said with a hint of shame in her voice.

Euphemia blinked at Villetta curiously before slowly nodding her head and gently placing her duffel bag on the bag seat and getting in herself. Three members of her security detail followed, with Lieutenant Simmons getting in the front passenger seat, while the other two soldiers sat on either side of Euphemia. Villetta then made her way to the driver's side and got in the front seat and locked the door before putting the key into the ignition.

The rest of Euphemia's security detail piled into another armored van nearby as Villetta pulled the vehicle out of park and began driving toward the security checkpoint of the base. Glancing into the rear-view mirror, Villetta noticed Euphemia checking her wristwatch before pulling a tablet out of her duffel bag. Euphemia glanced up at saw Villetta looking at her through the mirror.

"If you're curious, I have a tendency to do work even when I should be resting. It's a habit I picked up after spending so much time traveling alongside my sister, Cornelia," Euphemia explained with a wry expression on her face. Villetta nodded her head as she returned her focus to the road ahead of them.

"Well, it does pay to keep ahead of things," Villetta replied somewhat nervously. She had heard stories about Euphemia being the odd-one out of the Royal Family, in that she was kind and sweet in comparison to her father and... pretty much everyone else, save for the late Princess Nunnally and the late Prince Clovis during his youth. The key phrase, of course, being ' _in comparison_ '.

"Indeed, it does, but sometimes... I wonder if perhaps it may become problematic for me," Euphemia said with a curious tone. "Perhaps I force myself to keep busy to such a degree that one day I may find myself completely unable to enjoy time for rest because my body and mind have become dependent upon being occupied," Euphemia said as she looked up from her tablet and stared at the roof of the van.

She then returned her focus to the tablet in her hands. On the tablet screen was a document that Euphemia had downloaded from the internet following a special announcement the previous week. "So... Lieutenant Nu, correct?" Euphemia asked Villetta.

"Yes, Viceroy?" Villetta replied, hoping that her lack of regal address with Euphemia wasn't getting her in trouble.

"Tell me, have you viewed the leaked files regarding my brother's Project R?" Euphemia asked Villetta in an inquisitive tone. Villetta's eyes widened in response.

"W-Well... I haven't really taken it upon myself to search for them online. So... no, I have not seen the files," Villetta replied honestly. Kewell had made it explicitly clear that no one working for him was to view those files, and that anyone caught with them on any computing device would be reprimanded severely.

"I see," Euphemia said tersely. "Well... _I_ have had considerable time to view said files. They are most disturbing," she said with a slight frown marring her face. "I find it difficult to believe that my brother would be involved in something so horrible. And yet... I cannot find any indication that the documents have been fabricated," she added forlornly.

"I am sorry, Your Highness. I mean _Viceroy_ ," Villetta said apologetically, gulping nervously as she kept her eyes on the road in front of the van.

"It's all right. Either manner of address is acceptable. However, I do not want my identity as Viceroy made known to the public... at least not yet," Euphemia said reassuringly at first before switching to a firmer tone of voice. "In any case, how has the hunt for Zero been progressing?" she then asked curiously.

"Well, we've had several close-calls in the past two weeks, but we have yet to actually secure the terrorist in our grasp. He always seems to disappear at just the right moment. His presence is always confirmed by undercover operatives that are sent to the reported locations, but when we arrive, he's gone. And the undercover operatives can't remember anything at all when questioned," Villetta explained.

Euphemia raised an eyebrow at this statement. "Really? Is it possible that Zero recognized the operatives?" Euphemia then asked Villetta as the rain began to pick up outside the vehicle.

"We've made sure to have a different person assigned each time we learn of a sighting, but unless Zero knows them personally, I can't figure out how he'd recognize each one," Villetta replied. Euphemia nodded her head thoughtfully. _It sounds as though Zero may have a mole planted somewhere in the administration feeding him information. That would explain how he is able to evade capture despite the use of different undercover operatives_ , Euphemia thought to herself.

"Lieutenant Nu, do we know the nationality or ethnicity of Zero?" Euphemia asked her curiously. Villetta shook her head in response, still keeping her eyes focused on the road.

"Not that I am aware of, Viceroy. We do believe that Zero is male, based on available evidence, but we currently know nothing else about his identity," Villetta said. "His first probable sighting was likely during the incident in the Shinjuku Ghetto," Villetta added.

Euphemia raised an eyebrow at this. "There have been _two_ incidents in the Shinjuku Ghetto so far, Lieutenant. Can you perhaps be a bit more specific?" Euphemia asked Villetta.

"Right. I was referring to the battle that took place in August, when a poison gas canister was stolen by some terrorists who were then pursued into the ghetto," Villetta replied.

"Canister? Do you mean the one that the Project R files have revealed to have actually been a transport container for a living human test subject?" Euphemia asked her pointedly.

"General Bartley told everyone that it was a canister of poison gas. I haven't seen the Project R files yet, Your Highness, so I was unaware as to the true nature of the canister and what was held within," Villetta replied. Euphemia nodded her head in acceptance of Villetta's response.

"Hm. Lieutenant, when we reach the Viceroy's Palace, I want all available documents and files related to Zero compiled into a report and made available to me by seven PM on Sunday evening. I want a basic report available by ten PM tonight, giving me a basic outline of what information is available," Euphemia requested.

"Also... I want to speak with Margrave Soresi personally to ask him some questions regarding my brother's death. Can you tell me who found his body? Where was he killed?" Euphemia asked curiously.

"Um... I wasn't told," Villetta said nervously. "Most of the information regarding the time and location of Prince Clovis's death has been... carefully guarded," she added.

Euphemia nodded her head as she glanced back down at the data tablet in her hands. "Indeed. Tell me, Lieutenant, has there been an investigation into Project R itself? How it was funded? Who was involved? Has anyone started looking into this since the files were released online last week?" Euphemia asked her curiously.

"I... I don't know, Viceroy. Margrave Soresi would be the person to ask regarding that information," Villetta replied. Euphemia glanced up from her tablet to look at the rear-view mirror of the van before slowly nodding her head in understanding.

"Very well. In the meantime, I shall keep myself busy with some work," Euphemia said as she resumed reading the Project R files on her tablet.

* * *

 **The Viceroy's Palace, Tokyo Concession, Area 11, An Hour Later...**

Walking through the corridors of the Government Borough section of the Viceroy's Palace, Suzaku Kururugi glanced around in confusion. Standing outside the door of an office in the Personnel Department, he began to wonder if there had been a mistake of some kind. He had heard rumors about Jeremiah Gottwald's demotion, but he didn't think that the man would have been transferred to desk duty.

Raising a fist, Suzaku pressed a button next to the door. "Uh, this is Private Suzaku Kururugi of the Camelot Team, reporting as requested," Suzaku said into the small speaker system. When there was no response, he scratched his head in confusion.

" _Just one moment, Private. I'll be right there_ ," came the tired voice of Jeremiah Gottwald over the small speaker. The door soon opened to reveal a teal-haired man with tired orange eyes and the uniform of a desk worker. To Suzaku, this didn't seem right. Jeremiah didn't belong in such casual attire while sitting behind a desk. To him, the man belonged in a military uniform.

"Private, do you have the papers that were requested?" Jeremiah asked Suzaku, snapping him out of his stupor. Suzaku looked down at the manila folder in his left hand before nodding his head at Jeremiah, ignoring the faint scent of citrus emanating from the room. "Good," Jeremiah said with a small sigh.

"Is there something wrong, sir? I made sure to arrive on time and-" "It's nothing you've done, Private, so just relax," Jeremiah interrupted him. "I'm just having a rather off day, so don't take anything too personally," he added before gesturing for Suzaku to follow him away from the office. Suzaku glanced over into the office to briefly see a bucket and rag on the floor near a desk before the door slid shut.

"Come along, Private. Let's not keep Margrave Soresi waiting," Jeremiah said with a slight undertone of bitterness in his voice. Suzaku nodded his head quietly before following the older man through the corridors.

The trek through the halls was a quiet one as Jeremiah took the lead. Suzaku remained silent as he walked behind Jeremiah, occasionally looking around at the hallways to memorize the layout of the building so that he wouldn't get lost. Eventually, the duo reached an elevator, with Jeremiah ushering Suzaku inside first. After joining Suzaku in the elevator, Jeremiah pressed the button for the floor where the Margrave's office was located.

"So, Private, how is your time working for Earl Asplund?" Jeremiah asked Suzaku as the elevator ascended. Suzaku blinked in surprise, having expected Jeremiah to remain silent the entire time. He quickly regained his balance, though, and processed the question.

"Um... my time is very well spent. We've just started testing the new Varis Rifle for the Lancelot, but it might be a while before it's ready for mass production or field usage," Suzaku replied. "We finally have a proper ejection system for the Lancelot, too," he added hastily.

Jeremiah raised an eyebrow. "Oh? The Earl of Pudding is finally taking the safety of the pilot into consideration?" Jeremiah asked, being well aware of the previously horrendous safety record held by the A.S.E.E.C. due to Lloyd Asplund's neglect of pilot safety. "Did he finally realize that nobody else would be willing to test his machines if another pilot died?" Jeremiah then asked Suzaku.

Suzaku scratched the back of his head as he tried to remember why Lloyd had finally given in to the request for an emergency ejection system. "To be honest... I can't remember what his _stated reasons_ were for it, but that _may_ have had something to do with it," Suzaku replied with some uncertainty in his voice.

"Um, out of curiosity, why does Margrave Soresi want these files in person? They could just as easily be E-Mailed to him or even faxed. Does he not have a fax machine, or is his printer broken?" Suzaku questioned as he glanced down at the folder under he was holding. Jeremiah merely sighed in response, knowing that Kewell simply wanted to make things difficult for Suzaku and himself.

Despite Kewell's distaste for the former Eleven and the Honorary Britannian system in general, he could not just fire Suzaku without reason, and so he had decided to simply make things difficult for the pilot out of spite, hoping to eventually trigger some sort of retaliation from the boy that could then be used as justification for firing him in the future. He had allowed the continued harassment of Jeremiah for the same reasons, although he made sure that the incidents befalling Jeremiah occurred mostly at random and with enough time between them that Jeremiah could develop a false sense of security before the next one happened. Kewell was an asshole, despite his polite demeanor in public.

"He simply prefers a more formal method of doing things sometimes," Jeremiah finally said as an explanation. "I must admit, however, it _can_ be rather cumbersome to deliver information in such a manner when there are other more convenient methods available." Suzaku nodded his head in agreement.

"So... how have things been for you, sir?" Suzaku nervously asked Jeremiah. Jeremiah glanced at Suzaku with a curious expression before his gaze softened and he inhaled. Suzaku soon regretted asking his question as he observed the weariness of the man's body language and the pain in his orange eyes. "I'm sorry, sir. It isn't my place to question you," Suzaku said.

"No, it's all right. You weren't violating any rules or committing insubordination. You were just trying to make conversation," Jeremiah said reassuringly, despite the tiredness in his voice.

As the elevator came to a stop and the doors opened, Jeremiah led Suzaku out into the hallway as they resumed their trek to Kewell's office. After a minute of walking, Suzaku soon noticed a young woman in a blue office worker outfit with long pink hair wandering the hallway while carrying what looked like a duffel bag over her shoulders. She had a look of frustration on her face as she looked at the labels above the various doors.

The young woman soon noticed Suzaku and Jeremiah after turning her head. When she saw Jeremiah, her eyes lit up in recognition. "Sir Gottwald!" she said happily as she turned to face him. Jeremiah looked at the girl before his eyes widened in recognition. He immediately knelt down and bowed to her.

"Your Highness, I was not informed that you would be visiting today," Jeremiah said as he looked up at Euphemia from his kneeling position. Euphemia rolled her eyes and exhaled before shaking her head.

"Highness?" Suzaku asked curiously, before he noticed the color of Euphemia's eyes. He immediately knelt down next to Jeremiah and mimicked his bow. "I am so sorry, Ma'am! I didn't realize!" Suzaku blurted out nervously before gulping in fear of his mistake.

Euphemia rolled her eyes and sighed in annoyance. "Stand up, both of you," she said to the two kneeling men. Jeremiah and Suzaku both obeyed the command. Euphemia shook her head and smiled in amusement at Jeremiah. "Even after all these years, some things never change," Euphemia commented wistfully. She then looked at Suzaku curiously. "So, um, just who might you be?" she asked him.

"I am Private Suzaku Kururugi, Ma'am," Suzaku replied curtly with a nod.

"I see. I'm ashamed to admit that sending Lieutenant Nu and my security guards away to set up my things in the residential section has left me rather lost here. Could the two of you perhaps tell me how to find the Viceroy's office?" Euphemia then asked the duo.

"We were just on our way there," Jeremiah said. "We can escort you there, if you wish, Your Highness," he added with a respectful tone.

"I find that most acceptable, Sir Gottwald," Euphemia said with a curt nod and a smile. "Please, lead the way," she said while gesturing for Jeremiah to take the lead. Jeremiah nodded his head with a smile and began marching forward, with Euphemia and Suzaku stepping into place beside him.

"So, tell me, Your Highness, how is your schooling progressing?" Jeremiah asked Euphemia as they walked through the halls.

"I graduated from East Pendragon Academy earlier this year," Euphemia replied, glancing up at Jeremiah before looking ahead through the hallway. Jeremiah simply nodded his head in return. "I had been hoping to graduate a year earlier, but I'm afraid that the time spent traveling with my sister has made things difficult at times. I had to forego traveling with her this year, despite her protests," Euphemia said before shaking her head.

"She did not wish for you to return to Pendragon?" Jeremiah asked her curiously. Suzaku raised an eyebrow as he listened in on the conversation.

"She wants me to stay by her side at all times in order to protect me. She has even given me firearms training," Euphemia explained. "Well, she ordered General Darlton to train me, but she got herself involved anyway on numerous occasions," she added.

"I know she means well, but sometimes I feel as though I'm being suffocated by her," Euphemia lamented with a sigh. "I can't even _begin_ to imagine how she'll react when she learns that I've become the new Viceroy of Area Eleven," she said. Suzaku widened his eyes in response to Euphemia's words.

"Wait, _you're_ the new Viceroy?" Suzaku asked Euphemia, who craned her neck to look at Suzaku.

"Indeed I am. You seem surprised," Euphemia said in response. Suzaku gulped nervously.

"W-Well, it's just... I didn't think that the administration would hand the highest ranking position of government in the area to someone who has only just graduated from high school," Suzaku said nervously.

Euphemia simply rolled her eyes in response, although she did find Suzaku's attempts to watch his tongue rather amusing. Then she noticed just how young he was. The boy couldn't have been much older than 17 years at the most.

"Intriguing. And yet... you clearly do not question the decision made to allow someone who clearly _remains_ in high school to join the military," Euphemia said with a smirk. Suzaku blinked at her with wide eyes before realizing that he had no more room to talk.

"I apologize, Your Highness. I had not given any consideration to that viewpoint. Please, forgive my negligence," Suzaku replied. He thought twice about telling her that he was technically tutored at the base, and thus did not go to school.

"You are forgiven, Private. Just... you know, take a minute to _think_ before you speak. It'll save you from a lot of potential trouble in the future. Trust me. I know from personal experience," Euphemia said with a knowing smile before looking away from the Honorary Britannian.

"I must say, Your Highness. You certainly do carry a different air about you now than you had back when I still served in Pendragon," Jeremiah noted. Euphemia nodded her head in response.

"Well, growing up alongside Cornelia and being near the front lines in numerous military campaigns will do that to a person," Euphemia said, remembering all of the times she had observed her sister in battle from the safety of a heavily guarded G-1 Command Center.

"Nevertheless, it is still good to see you again," Jeremiah said with a smile.

"Yes, it's been a while since last we spoke at any length to one another. Hasn't it, Sir Gottwald?" Euphemia responded. Jeremiah nodded his head in agreement, while Suzaku continued listening in quietly. Following his little outburst earlier, he no longer wished to draw any attention to himself. "The last time I can remember either of us speaking to one another like this was just a day or two before... before Marianne's murder," Euphemia soon added forlornly.

"It was my greatest failure," Jeremiah said somberly, a downcast expression befalling his face.

"Was it? If I recall, Cornelia once explained to me that Aunt Marianne ordered _the entirety_ of her Royal Guard to be withdrawn that night for reasons unknown. Tell me, did Aunt Marianne request that _you_ leave her side as well?" Euphemia asked Jeremiah.

"Indeed she did, but I strongly protested against the decision," Jeremiah replied. Suzaku listened to the conversation with interest. "In the end, I made a compromise. I would leave her alone for a while to patrol the villa by myself, but only if I were allowed to check on her every thirty minutes or so," Jeremiah said, before a frown crossed his face.

"It took only _twenty minutes_ to lose her forever," he added with regret and shame in his voice.

Euphemia nodded her head as she processed Jeremiah's words. From what both Jeremiah and her sister had told her, Empress Marianne had wanted to be alone that night for reasons known only to herself. The problem now was figuring out what those reasons were. However, that was a question to ponder at a later time.

"So, I take it the Purebloods are in complete control at this moment?" Euphemia asked with a hint of distaste in her voice as she looked around the halls just after the trio turned a corner. Propaganda posters promoting the elimination of the Honorary Britannian System and the enforcement of Pure Blood government were all over the place.

A wanted poster with an image of Zero on it could also be seen next to a door. Euphemia eyed the poster carefully before walking over and grabbing one of the propaganda posters nearby and ripping it off the wall. She rolled it up and held it firmly in her hands before rejoining Jeremiah and Suzaku in their trek to the Viceroy's office.

 **The Viceroy's Office, A Few Minutes Later...**

Sitting at what had only recently been Prince Clovis's desk, Kewell reclined in the chair and glanced up at the clock on the wall. He still hadn't heard back from Villetta yet about the new Viceroy, and he was starting to wonder if she had actually made it to McCallister base at all. _I shouldn't be surprised. This is what I get for entrusting a commoner-born brownie with retrieving our new Viceroy_ , Kewell thought to himself.

Letting out a sigh, Kewell reached for the intercom button on the desk, only for the buzzer to ring for the main door. Pressing the button for the door buzzer, Kewell spoke. "Yes?" he asked into the speaker system built into the desk.

" _Margrave Soresi, this is the new Viceroy of Area Eleven. I wish to enter my office_ ," a youthful female voice said over the com. Kewell raised an eyebrow but otherwise did not voice any protest. "By all means, please enter," he said. "The door is unlocked," he added.

Seconds later, the door to the room was pushed open and a pink-haired young woman in a blue business suit marched into the room, accompanied by Jeremiah Gottwald and Suzaku Kururugi. The girl had a duffel bag in one arm and a rolled up paper of some kind in the other hand. She held a neutral expression on her face, but when Kewell saw the violet eyes looking at him, he knew exactly who was taking over as the new Viceroy.

"Princess Euphemia! My sincerest apologies," Kewell said hastily as he stood up and bowed to her. Euphemia nodded her head at him in appreciation. "At ease, Margrave," she said dismissively as she placed her duffel bag on the floor before walking around the desk.

"Yes?" Kewell asked her as he remained standing in place. Euphemia smirked at him with a knowing expression.

"Do I need permission to sit at my own desk?" Euphemia asked him, prompting the man to widen his eyes before stepping away and muttering several apologies under his breath.

Euphemia then sat down in the chair and watched with some amusement as Kewell moved to stand near Jeremiah and Suzaku, but not too close to them, she noticed. "So, Margrave Soresi, how goes the hunt for Zero?" Euphemia asked the man in a calm manner, her eyes boring into his with an intense gaze.

"Um... we have not made much progress, unfortunately," Kewell replied. Euphemia nodded her head. "Every time we make a move to grab him, he just disappears. It's almost as if he knows we're coming," Kewell said with a frown.

"So, you haven't managed to capture him yet. What about intelligence? What information has been gathered on this masked man?" Euphemia asked Kewell curiously. "What do we know about him? What's his nationality? Where was he born? What's his ethnicity? What's his age? When and where was the first official recorded encounter with him? What are his motivations? What's his end goal? Is he working alone, or does he have connections elsewhere? Is he affiliated with any other known terrorist groups in the Area?" Euphemia asked, listing off numerous details that she wanted.

"Well... we don't really know," Kewell said. "Although, we do suspect that his first encounter with us was during the Battle of Shinjuku, when General Bartley was killed," he quickly added.

"Yes, Lieutenant Nu said something similar when questioned," Euphemia commented. Kewell nodded his head in understanding. "Well, onto the next topic of discuss-oh, um, Sir Gottwald and Private Kururugi, I'm so sorry," Euphemia apologized as she remembered why they had accompanied her to the Viceroy's office.

"I completely forgot that you both had been summoned here prior to my arrival," she said sheepishly. Kewell glanced at the two men next to him and cleared his throat.

"Yes, I had requested some important files regarding the progress of the Lancelot for review," Kewell explained. "I wanted them brought here in person because I fear that some of our networks may have been breached by Zero. I do not wish for him to learn anything about the Lancelot before it is ready for field deployment," Kewell said.

Euphemia thoughtfully nodded her head in understanding and even partial agreement. "Yes, I've heard that he is quite tricky and devious. Your reasoning here is rather solid, Margrave Soresi," Euphemia admitted. "So, if that's the case, I would like to review the files as well after I have finished getting set up," she added.

Suzaku stepped forward and handed Euphemia the manila folder, which she took with one hand and placing it on the desk. She smiled at Suzaku and nodded curtly in appreciation. "Sir Gottwald, Private Kururugi; you are both dismissed to return to your usual duties," Euphemia said with a curt nod of her head. "I bid you both a pleasant afternoon," she added, to which Suzaku and Jeremiah both responded by nodding their heads.

" **Thank you, Your Highness** ," Suzaku and Jeremiah both replied in near perfect unison with sort bows before they turned around and exited the room. After they were both gone and the door had closed, Euphemia turned her attention to Kewell. Kewell looked at her expectantly.

"Margrave Soresi... I wish to know about this Project R and my brother's death," Euphemia said firmly. "I want to know where his body was found and when. Who found his body?" Euphemia asked him.

"Your Highness, that information is-" " _Now_ , Margrave," Euphemia said, cutting him off with a glare. "I don't have the patience for games, Margrave. I have seen the files related to Project R, the ones that Zero released. Who else was aware of my brother's involvement in this project? How was it kept secret for so long?" she grilled him.

"I don't know, Your Highness. I was _not_ among the personnel who knew of its existence prior to Zero's video statement," Kewell answered honestly. "I wasn't told the name of who found him, only that it was a scientist who had been called in by Clovis several hours earlier at a location called Special Research Lab Delta Five. As soon as I was informed of Clovis's death, I ordered an investigation be conducted by our best investigative units," Kewell continued.

"And what have they found so far?" Euphemia asked him.

"Well, for some reason, OSI became involved less than a day after Zero's video message was broadcast. I haven't been allowed to enter the facility or check on anything related since then," Kewell replied.

"OSI?" Euphemia asked. The Office of Secret Intelligence, also known as the OSI, was an organization that had been created by Emperor Charles zi Britannia during the 1990's. The OSI answered only to Charles and any individuals he appointed as substitutes on certain occasions. Most people weren't even aware of the OSI's existence, but most members of the Royal Family knew about them.

"Please tell me you have confiscated materials that they haven't seen yet," Euphemia pleaded, causing Kewell to widen his eyes in surprise.

"Your Highness, I'm afraid I don't understand your concern," Kewell admitted.

"Margrave, if OSI has become involved, then that means everything in that lab has been scrubbed clean, with no evidence left behind for _anything_. All computers in that facility have probably been completely wiped, and all staff have probably been replaced or made to disappear," Euphemia elaborated somberly.

"Anything that could have helped the investigation into my brother's death is now completely gone, leaving only the Project R files and Zero's video statement as evidence," Euphemia lamented.

"Your Highness, surely you don't take the words of that masked lunatic seriously?" Kewell asked her. Euphemia narrowed her eyes at him in a glare.

"Yes, Margrave, I _do_ ," Euphemia retorted. "This man killed my brother _and_ General Bartley. He has displayed an uncanny ability to evade capture. He also clearly has access to intelligence that is very dangerous to us. So, yes, I take his words very seriously," Euphemia explained sternly.

"Lunatic or not, Zero has proven himself to be extremely dangerous, and he _must_ be taken seriously as a credible threat," she added. "So, I want you to have people start investigating the leaked Project R files immediately. Put someone on it, and I want a report on my desk by next Saturday in the evening, before seven PM. That gives you at least a week to complete this task," Euphemia said.

"I have already ordered Lieutenant Nu to have a report on Zero compiled and ready for me by this coming Sunday evening, so don't worry about that," Euphemia added before she took a deep breath to calm herself. She then remembered the rolled up poster in her other hand.

"Anyway, I have another matter to discuss with you," she said as she held up the poster and uncurled it. "What is _this?_ " she asked with distaste. Kewell looked down at the poster and then back up at Euphemia in mild apprehension. He hesitated for a moment.

"It is meant to promote pride in Britannian heritage," Kewell finally said. Of course, Euphemia saw the bullshit excuse for what it was, but she decided to remain civil.

"Is that so?" she asked him carefully. Kewell nodded his head eagerly. "Well then, perhaps I should point out how some may view this as promoting blatant discrimination within our ranks," Euphemia pointed out. Kewell nodded his head in agreement with what was obvious.

"Presently, the situation in Area Eleven is very tenuous, Margrave, especially with Zero running around. We don't need to provide fuel for dissent among the Honorary Britannians who serve the Empire. That will only lead to more problems in the future," Euphemia added. "We don't need to give anyone reasons to support Zero, and _this_ will only provide those reasons to those who feel discriminated against. If you wish to promote pride in Britannian heritage, then I would suggest doing so in a manner that is much more clear in its message. Remember, Kewell, a house divided cannot stand," Euphemia said.

Kewell nodded his head in reluctant agreement and understanding. "Is there anything else you wish to discuss, Your Highness?" Kewell asked her. Euphemia shook her head.

"No. Please see to it that these posters are removed from the walls and have that investigation into Project R begin as soon as possible. I also want a full audit for the Area's finances dating back to the beginning of the fiscal year conducted and delivered to me before the end of November. I _don't_ want the OSI involved. That will be all for now," Euphemia said before dismissing the man. He quickly bowed to her before walking away and exiting the room. As soon as the door closed, Euphemia sank back into her new chair and sighed.

 _The OSI_ , she thought to herself. _They answer only to my father, so... did he know about this? Or did Clovis execute this project under the Emperor's nose without him realizing it? But... if Zero's first appearance was during the Battle of Shinjuku, the same battle that was started by terrorists unwittingly stealing the transport container for the Project R test subject..._ Euphemia's eyes widened as she came to a startling conclusion.

 _Could Zero be related to the Project? Or did Zero simply first appear at that time by coincidence? Zero deliberately killed Bartley and Clovis, the two highest-ranking personnel overseeing the project_ , Euphemia noted. _But what if that was just coincidence? What if Zero had nothing to do with the Project and is simply using it to his own benefit in order to justify murdering Bartley and Clovis? That's a logical course of action from a certain perspective_ , Euphemia thought to herself.

 _But I can't jump to conclusions just yet. I need that report on Zero's appearances before I can do anything, otherwise I'm jumping in blind_ , Euphemia thought bitterly. _Although... I do think I'll implement a mandatory reset of all user account passwords for select networks on our government servers. If Zero has spies inside the administration, then doing that should slow them down a little bit as we collect more information_ , Euphemia thought to herself as she opened a desk drawer and found a piece of paper taped to the underside of the cabinet. Removing the paper, she saw that it had the user account and password for the Viceroy to use on the main computer system and network server.

"Huh."

* * *

 **Deep Within A Secure JLF Bunnker Somewhere Near Osaka, Saturday, October 28, 2017 ATB**

Sitting in the seiza position on a tatami mat, Lieutenant Colonel Kyoshiro Tohdoh looked at the report in front of him with interest. Sitting with Tohdoh around a table in a circle, Lieutenant Colonel Josui Kusakabe, General Katase Tatewaki, Kaguya Sumeragi, and Taizo Kirihara all studied their own copies of the same report. After several minutes, Tohdoh placed the report down on the table and looked up.

"So, this... is all we can come up with?" Tohdoh asked bitterly. "Zero is most likely from the Euro Union or a Britannian defector? There is nothing else that can be found?" he asked rhetorically as he looked around the room.

"Well... in my opinion, given what we learned regarding the events in Shinjuku in August, coupled with the revelations about Project R," Kaguya began, "I think that Zero may have been one of the test subjects involved in that project." Tohdoh reached up to rub his chin as he thought about Kaguya's suggestion.

"Indeed, the fact that Zero has not killed anyone else since Clovis could be seen as a sign that Clovis and Bartley were both killed as revenge for the horrific experiments performed upon Zero while in their custody. However, that still doesn't explain Zero's identity," Tohdoh said in response.

"If Zero's true intentions have only been getting revenge, then does this mean he may go into hiding now that he's accomplished his goal?" Josui Kusakabe asked curiously. Everyone looked at each other curiously. "Think about it. If Zero's only goal was to get revenge for being experimented upon, then there's no more reason for him to stick around and fight against the rest of the Britannia," Kusakabe added.

"No. Not after releasing that video. I think Zero's waiting for something. He's biding his time," Kaguya suggested.

"But what of Zero's identity? We still don't know who he truly is," Katase pointed out. Tohdoh and Kirihara both nodded their heads in agreement.

"Does it matter who is behind that mask at this point?" Kaguya asked him.

"Of course it matters!" Kusakabe barked. "The liberation of Japan must be done by the hands of the Japanese! How can we truly liberate ourselves if not by our own hands?" he added.

"Having some outside help would not be a bad thing, Kusakabe," Katase said. "If anything, perhaps enlisting the aid of Zero could prove fruitful for us in the future," he added. Kaguya nodded her head in agreement, as did Kirihara.

"But... what if Zero proves too unpredictable? What if he is not loyal to our cause? What if we ally with him, and then he decides to sell us out to the Britannians to save his own skin when he finds himself in a tight spot?" Kusakabe asked worriedly. "What if he's not actually fighting against Britannia? What if... what if Zero is actually a Britannian agent working for one of the Emperor's children in an effort to help them ascend to the throne?" Kusakabe continued.

"What if Zero _is_ one of the Emperor's children, and this is their way of eliminating competition by murdering and then sullying the names of their siblings until only they are left?" Kusakabe asked. Everyone looked at him questioningly, before glancing at each other. "It's not out of the question! The Emperor's own policy of Social Darwinism would practically advocate this type of plot by one of his own children in an effort to gain power! Hell, Zero's whole scheme could even be a plot by _the Emperor himself_ to weed out the offspring he thinks are unworthy of his throne," Kusakabe rambled.

Kaguya, Kirihara, and _even Tohdoh_ , all had to restrain themselves from rolling their eyes at Kusakabe and his paranoid rambling. Before Kaguya could calmly denounce Kusakabe's various hypothesis, Tohdoh grunt to catch everyone's attention. Even Kusakabe stopped talking as he turned to look at the man.

"That possibilities _do_ bear some merit, Kusakabe, but we have no evidence to suggest that Zero is related to Britannian royalty or even working for the Britannians. We need to obtain more information," Tohdoh said calmly. "We must find a way to contact Zero and establish some sort of dialogue if we are to learn more about him," he added.

"Should we send a representative of Kyoto House to meet with Zero in person?" Kaguya asked the group as she looked around the table. Everyone soon began murmuring to themselves in deep thought. Eventually, Kirihara cleared his throat to gain everyone's attention.

"If we do decide to speak with Zero in person, we must do so in a location that is difficult to find, and one that is isolated. But we must take heed, for if Zero is in fact a Britannian spy, meeting with Kyoto House could spell doom for us all, as it would expose with direct evidence our support of the JLF and other resistance groups," Kirihara said.

"In that case, would it not be a more logical decision for a representative of the JLF to meet with Zero instead?" Kaguya suggested. "After all, if Zero only meets with a representative of an _already known_ resistance group, then Kyoto House can remain unexposed, allowing us to continue supplying the various resistance groups throughout the country," she elaborated.

"But how will we know that any agreement to speak with us won't be some kind of trap?" Kusakabe asked with concern.

Kaguya mulled over Kusakabe's worry in her mind for a bit before speaking. "Do we know if Zero has made contact with any other resistance groups as of yet?" Kaguya asked as she looked around the table.

"No, not as far as we are aware," Kirihara said. Kaguya pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes in thought.

"Then perhaps we should attempt to make contact through a smaller resistance cell first, to test the waters and see what happens," Kaguya soon suggested.

"Do you have any such groups in mind, Sumeragi-san?" Kirihara asked her. Kaguya frowned and shook her head in response.

"Unfortunately, most of the groups I'm aware of have been wiped out in the past year. The only one left is the Matsumoto Cell operating in Osaka, but after the pogroms that took place in September, they've been laying low. I'm almost tempted to think that they may be planning to disband," she added with a hint of consternation in her voice.

"General, what do you think?" Tohdoh asked Katase. Katase exhaled through his nostrils as he closed his eyes and thought about the situation. Kusakabe and Tohdoh both looked at him expectantly, until he finally opened his eyes and looked at Kaguya.

"Lady Sumeragi, I dare not take any military action alongside or against Zero until we know more about him. Please do whatever is in your power to obtain as much information as possible. I ask the same of you as well, Kirihara-san. I wish to liberate Japan from Britannia's clutches, but this Zero is an unpredictable variable. We do not know what he will do if we launch a strike against Britannia out in the open," Katase said.

"Therefore, I ask that both of you attempt to establish some form of communication with Zero and learn as much about him as possible, be it together or separately. I do not wish to alienate a potential ally, but I also dare not invite a potential spy into our midst either. Please, attempt to communicate with Zero through a representative from one of the smaller resistance cells," Katase requested. Kusakabe frowned at Katase's request.

Kaguya and Kirihara both nodded their heads in agreement. "Very well," Kirihara said. "We shall reach out to the various resistance groups we have aided and see if they can arrange a meeting with Zero to learn more about him," he added.

"Thank you," Katase said with a short bow, which was then returned by Kaguya and Kirihara. "Now, have you heard anything from India regarding those new Knightmare Frames being developed by Miss Chawla?" Katase asked them.

"Yes, but I must report that the delivery of the new Knightmares will be delayed for another three months," Kaguya replied.

Katase raised an eyebrow. "Delayed? For what reason?" he asked Kaguya.

"According to the message sent to us, Zero's activities have caused an increase in security around the various ports of Japan by Britannian patrols. Our contacts in India are waiting for things to die down before they attempt to make any deliveries to us," Kaguya explained.

Katase sighed before nodding his head in understanding. "I see. I suppose it can't be helped," Katase said. Kusakabe's frown deepened, though he held his tongue.

* * *

 **The World of C, Monday, October 30, 2017 ATB**

Standing on a temple-like structure floating in the air, surrounded by clouds, Emperor Charles zi Britannia looked into the clouds. "You should have known better, Clovis. Cee-Two has a vengeful side a mile wide," Charles said. He nodded his head as the spirit of his dead son continued speaking to him. "Oh? _Lelouch_ was the one who killed you?" Charles asked with amusement in his voice.

He started to chuckle. " _And_ he has _Geass?_ Well now... it would seem I may have sewn the seeds of chaos by exiling him with Nunnally," he added. "So... both Lelouch _and_ Cee-Two are Zero?" Charles asked Clovis's spirit. He nodded as Clovis replied.

"Interesting. Tell me, does Cee-Two know that your uncle was the one in charge?" Charles asked Clovis. Charles smirked when Clovis replied. "Then perhaps that can be used in my favor down the road. Since I was completely unaware of this little project until after Cee-Two escaped... yes, Vincent will get his just desserts when the moment is right," Charles murmured to himself thoughtfully.

"Tell me, did Lelouch mention his intentions to you? Does he seek to claim the throne?" Charles asked Clovis. He raised an eyebrow as Clovis replied. "He didn't say? He-wait, go on," Charles said. He nodded his head in understanding again.

"Oh. I see now. Then that means he most likely wants revenge for Marianne and... _Nunnally_ ," Charles said with a hint of distaste as the girl's name escaped his lips. "Lelouch didn't say where he and Nunnally have been hiding, did he?" Charles then asked Clovis.

"Of course not. But they're probably hiding out in some JLF bunker anyway," Charles said with a frown after Clovis replied again. "Thank you, Clovis. You've been most helpful for once," Charles said before dismissing the spirit of his son. He then turned around as he heard footsteps behind him. He saw a member of the Geass Directorate stop and kneel before him.

"Your Highness, Prince Clovis's remains have just arrived in Pendragon," the Directorate messenger said.

"Indeed," Charles replied, "I was just speaking with him." The messenger remained kneeling, waiting for an order. "You're dismissed," Charles then said to the man, who quickly rose up and departed from the area.

Inhaling through his nostrils, Charles smirked before looking around at the clouds surrounding the platform. "Well then... it would seem that I may have been too hasty in exiling Lelouch all those years ago. I should have known that out of all my children, _Lelouch_ would end up being the most like me," he said to himself before shaking his head briefly. His smirk remained intact. "Even if none of it will matter once the Ragnarok Convergence occurs, it doesn't mean I can't have some fun," he said to himself. "Prepare yourself, Lelouch... for the games are _just beginning_."

* * *

 **ENDING THEME:** _ **One Vision**_ **, by Queen.**

* * *

 **PREVIEW OF NEXT TIME**

In the next chapter of _Two Steps Forward, One Step Backward_ , Euphemia quietly begins her tenure as the new Viceroy of Area 11, before discovering that Suzaku is not enrolled in school despite being a Knightmare pilot. For this crime, Suzaku is sentenced... to attend high school!

* * *

Author's Notes: And that was Chapter 09! Yeah, that took longer than expected, but when I write chapters that aren't based on existing episodes, I tend to take longer in setting things up and filling in the details. So, word of warning, as the story goes on, there are going to be a lot of chapters that take maybe a week or longer for me to work on before they get published.

For anyone who may have missed it, my description of Euphemia's arrival at McCallister base is an homage to a similar scene in James Cameron's underwater scifi-action-drama, _The Abyss_ (1989).

Also, please note that while Euphemia may seem a bit too business-like in this chapter, I will have her mellow out a bit more as the story goes on.

This chapter also marks the start of the second arc of the story: The Black Knights Debut Arc. This story has several arcs running through it, as follows. Please note that some of the extra details present in the descriptions are complete bullshit intended to keep readers scratching their heads in confusion so as to avoid spoiling major plot details.

 **The Birth of Zero Arc** : Chapter 01 through Chapter 08. Covers Lelouch receiving his Geass through Zero's public announcement after killing Clovis. _Extra_ : Kallen and the other Black Knights learn of Zero's true identity in this arc, and Lloyd Asplund rides around Tokyo on a robot unicorn while spreading joy to all of the children.

 **The Black Knights Debut Arc** : Chapter 09 through Chapter 18. Covers Euphemia's arrival in Area 11 through the Lake Kawaguchi Hostage Crisis. You didn't seriously think I'd write this story without the Lake Kawaguchi incident, did you? _Extra_ : Cornelia is also introduced during this arc, while Ohgi develops a crippling cocaine addiction, Tamaki is transformed into a Zoanoid, and Shirley becomes a professional race car driver.

 **The Fractured JLF Arc** : Chapter 19 through Chapter 26. Covers Black Knights cleaning up the streets to better their image through the Battle of Port Yokosuka. _Extra_ : Kallen receives her Guren during this arc and learns that her mother is actually a spy for the Euro Union. Diethardt Ried also leaves journalism and becomes a comic book artist during this arc.

 **The [CLASSIFIED] Arc** : Chapter 27 through Chapter 29. This is classified for now. _Extra_ : Nunnally develops amnesia and asks Sayoko to be her new mommy in this arc (d'awww), while Milly tricks Rivalz into wearing a sentient condom, which then kills him and uses his corpse as a zombie puppet.

 **The [CLASSIFIED] Arc** : Chapter 30 through Chapter 35. This is classified for now. _Extra_ : Sentient killer tomatoes attack Cornelia during this arc, causing Cornelia to hunt down and murder every vegetarian and vegan she encounters, while C.C. learns how to cook various types of lasagna. Meanwhile, Nunnally begins chopping people's legs off and attaching them to herself in an attempt to walk again.

 **The [CLASSIFIED] Arc** : Chapter 36 through Chapter 38. This is classified for the time being. _Extra_ : Lelouch's Geass goes out of control, while Nina Einstein discovers a secret talent for singing after going to a karaoke bar and banging Suzaku on a dare from Milly. Also, Villetta Nu discovers that she's pregnant... and _**TAMAKI**_ is the father! Zoinks!

 **The [CLASSIFIED] Arc** : Chapter 39 through Chapter 43. This is classified for the time being. _Extra_ : A billion dollar corporation builds a literal hot dog chain and links it to the moon in this arc, followed by the Black Knights relocating their HQ to an abandoned mine shaft in Okinawa, one filled with hibernating Graboids and a dormant Xenomorph nest.

 **The [CLASSIFIED] Arc** : Chapter 44 through Chapter 50. This shit's _classified_ , although I will say that Prince Schneizel plays a part in the proceedings. _Extra_ : Suzaku gets Shirley pregnant during this arc, Euphemia puts her brain in a robot body (one with D-CUPS FULL OF JUSTICE!), and Gilbert P. Guilford becomes a cyborg with a Geass-cancelling ability after C.C. forms a contract with Cornelia following the capture of V.V. in the Tokyo Settlement.

So... which extra details do you guys think are bullshit, and which ones do you think are actually going to appear in the finished story? Let me know in your reviews after you've read the chapter.

I, Anguirus1955, command you... to let me know what you think of this chapter and/or the story so far... and that stuff about the extra details for future story arcs... in your reviews!


	10. Fast Times At Ashford Academy

**CODE GEASS: Two Steps Forward, One Step Backward**

By Anguirus1955

Disclaimer: Code Geass is the intellectual property of Studio Sunrise.

And here is Chapter 10! So, as many of you may have noticed, Euphemia is noticeably different from her canon counterpart in many ways. She isn't as naive or quite as innocent, but she still has a good heart and is rather lenient toward others when they make faux pas regarding how they address her or when they speak out of turn. However, she does have a sense of discipline, instilled by her sister Cornelia, and when pushed far enough, she will show it.

Some of you also may have noticed that Euphemia refers to Jeremiah Gottwald as Sir Gottwald, despite his demotion. This is mostly because Euphemia still holds Jeremiah in high regard, as he is among the few people she recognizes in Area 11 from her childhood. It's also because despite being demoted, he is still technically a Knight. Clovis may have stripped Jeremiah of his Margrave title, but not his Knight rank and the piloting licenses that come with it.

Also, since Suzaku will be forced to attend Ashford Academy in this chapter, this means I get to write another reunion between him and Lelouch. Now, as I have detailed in earlier chapters, Suzaku isn't as naive or as blindly optimistic as he was in canon. He isn't the brooding character seen in R2 either. He's still optimistic, but not stupid. He does hope that the system can be changed from within, but he isn't dumb enough to think that this change will happen because he tries to set a good example like he did in canon.

As with all stories that I write, I listen to music while writing to help myself get into a groove or to help myself capture certain feelings while writing. It can help inspire me sometimes. Music that I listened to while writing this chapter include _Code Geass OST_ 1 - 2 (2006 - 2007) by Kotaro Nakagawa, _Can't Buy Me Love_ (1987) by Robert Folk, and _Halo 2 Anniversary Original Soundtrack_ (2014) by Martin O'Donnell & Michael Salvatori with new recordings by Skywalker Sound.

Please note that listening to this music while reading the story is _**not**_ a requirement. I simply provide this as a little something extra to help enhance the reading experience, if you the readers so wish to do so. Most of this music can be found and heard on YouTube or any number of anime soundtrack websites.

Sudden and Suspicious Disclaimer: I also advocate the purchasing and obtaining of official soundtracks through legal means.

Music From _Code Geass OST 1 - 2_ (2006 - 2007): _Zero_ , _Strange Girl_ , _Cold Nobility_ , _Invisible Sound_ , _Outside Road_ , _Devil Created_ , _First Signature_ , _Boyhood_ , _Last Adolescence_ , _Occupied Thinking_ , _All Hail Britannia!_

Music From _Can't Buy Me Love_ (1987): _Rent Me_ , _Geek Groove_ , _Siberia_ , _Anything You Want_ , _Thinking of You_ , _Don' Forget_ , _Thinking of You_ , _For You_.

Music From _Halo 2 Anniversary OST_ (2014): _Not A Number_ , _Into The Belly Of The Beast_ , _Charity's Irony_ , _Spartan's Regret_ , _Only A Star, Only The Sea_.

 **Track Order Listing - All After Opening Theme And Before Ending Theme**

 **01**. _Spartan's Regret_ (Nunnally's feelings), **02**. _Only A Star, Only The Sea_ (Euphemia studies Zero report), **03**. _Thinking of You_ , (C.C. in bed), **04**. _Baked Words_ (Educational requirements), **05**. _Last Adolescence_ (Suzaku at Ashford), **06**. _Anything You Want_ (Suzaku joins Student Council), **07**. _Cold Nobility_ (Clovis's Funeral/Emperor's Speech).

 **Music After Ending Theme**

 **08**. _Into The Belly Of The Beast_.

* * *

 **OPENING THEME:** _ **Blow Me Away**_ **(By Breaking Benjamin)**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 10: Fast Times At Ashford Academy**

* * *

 **Ashford Academy, Tuesday, October 31, 2017 ATB**

Wheeling her way through the halls of Ashford Academy, Nunnally Lamperouge stopped at an intersection as she waited for the human traffic to lighten up. As she waited, she couldn't help but notice the other students' legs as they walked. Nunnally glanced down at her own legs, limp and useless, before looking back up at the other students as they passed through the halls.

She inhaled quietly through her nostrils before exhaling, drawing as little attention to herself as possible. When the other students finished making their way to the next class, Nunnally resumed wheeling herself through the intersection, taking a left turn as she made her way to her next class. Glancing up at a clock on the wall, she saw that she still had enough time before the bell would ring. That realization cheered her up a little bit.

 _But, I still wish I could walk again_ , she thought to herself with a sense of longing. She continued wheeling herself through the hallway quietly until she reached the door to the next class. Taking a deep breath, Nunnally forced herself to smile before turning her wheelchair and entering the class room.

* * *

 **The Viceroy's Palace, Tokyo Concession, Area 11, Later That Day...**

Sitting at her desk, Euphemia li Britannia studied the report in front of her. Ever since receiving the report on Zero Sunday night, she had been re-reading it over and over again, looking for clues that could help unmask the man who had killed Clovis. However, there were many things that seemed amiss in the report. There were things that just didn't make sense.

However, there were also several noticeable patterns regarding Zero as well. Memory loss suffered by certain individuals was the biggest pattern. And yet, it was also one of the most curious and frustrating patterns as well, for Euphemia could not understand just how Zero was able to cause this memory loss in the first place.

Over and over again, Euphemia read the report, page after page, taking in every detail she could find. For two days she looked over it, and somehow everything made less sense each time she read it. Looking away from the report, Euphemia glanced at her tablet, which had a page from the Project R files opened on it. An idea soon occurred to Euphemia as she grabbed the report on her desk and flipped back to the first page. She read the section covering the Battle of Shinjuku again.

 _The terrorists unwittingly stole a container holding the Project R test subject_ , Euphemia thought to herself. _Project R was Clovis's asinine attempt at gaining immortality because the test subject... had unusual abilities_ , Euphemia realized as she grabbed the tablet and placed it on the table next to the report. _What if... wait a minute, the canister was never recovered! It was found by Foreign Legion troops during the battle, but otherwise it was left in the ghetto afterward_ , Euphemia realized.

 _If it was left there... then it was probably empty. Meaning that the test subject had escaped. The time listed for the canister's discovery was just before the battle started going in the terrorists' favor, which was when Zero first appeared, as evidenced by Lieutenant Nu's recollection. Lieutenant Nu's loss of memory and Knightmare Frame both occurred near a restaurant where the corpses of Clovis's Royal Guard were found_ , Euphemia thought as she started fitting the puzzle pieces into one another.

After another minute of deep thought, Euphemia's eyes widened in realization. "Zero... Zero was the test subject!" she gasped. _This whole time, Zero's actions haven't been those of a revolutionary! His words and actions have all been for revenge! Helping out the terrorists was just Zero's way of staying out of Britannia's clutches_ , Euphemia realized.

 _The memory loss and apparent hypnosis abilities... it all makes perfect sense now! Zero wiped Lieutenant Nu's memory of his face and stole her Knightmare. Helping the terrorists win the battle allowed him to find and murder Bartley, and then he laid low until that raid in Shinjuku the following month. The Orange Incident_ , Euphemia thought to herself as she flipped through the report.

 _Hypnosis and subsequent memory loss with Sir Gottwald, just like Lieutenant Nu and every undercover operative that has reported Zero's presence at all of the failed capture locations_ , Euphemia noted. _But are these powers a result of the experiments, or did Zero already have these abilities before being captured by Clovis and Bartley? If these powers are a result of the Project R experiments, then Clovis was very much hoisted by his own petard_ , Euphemia thought to herself with a frown.

 _As angry as I wish to be toward Zero for killing my brother, I must admit that... well, Clovis and Bartley had it coming. Clovis ordered horrific experiments performed on this person for his own vain attempt at gaining eternal life, and once Zero escaped custody... it's no wonder Bartley's corpse had so many bullet holes in his crotch region_ , Euphemia realized.

 _But then... why did Clovis's corpse reportedly only have one bullet hole in his body? Perhaps Zero had mellowed out over the months following his killing of Bartley. That must be it. Zero killed Bartley on the same day that he was freed, so of course the desire for revenge and other negative emotions would be running high. Clovis was killed months later, so Zero must have calmed down by then_ , Euphemia thought as she rationalized the discrepancies between the two murders.

"Still... none of this actually reveals Zero's identity. No name or... face?" Euphemia asked as she looked at her tablet and started going through the Project R files again, searching for any details or even images of the test subject. When she did find images, none of them included the face of the subject, only limbs and other body parts for before and after comparisons to accompany various experiments.

"Who are you really, Zero?" Euphemia asked curiously as she tried to find clues, anything at all, that could reveal more information about the test subject.

* * *

 **Ashford Academy, Later That Evening...**

Lying back on her bed in her dorm room, C.C. held her plush Cheese-Kun up to her chest as she stared up at the ceiling. Glancing to her left, she looked at the desk where her completed homework lay. It had been a long time since she had been forced to do school work, and while the knowledge she had accumulated over her centuries of living was quite useful in completing her assignments, she still disliked the fact that she had to use it for something so tedious.

 _But I'm free, though. I suppose it's better to do homework than to be back in that lab_ , she thought to herself as she hugged Cheese-Kun tightly to her body. Closing her eyes, C.C. allowed her thoughts to drift. _I wonder... when the Ragnarok Convergence is completed, will any of this even matter? Will Lelouch's revenge against Charlie and Vincent make any difference? Should I tell him the truth about Marianne?_

Shifting herself on the bed, C.C. focused her gaze up at the ceiling. "No," she whispered in response to her own question. "If I tell him the truth right now... it'll just cause problems," she said before glancing down at Cheese-Kun. "Besides... I'd rather not see him get killed so soon," she added, knowing that Lelouch would probably abandon the whole Zero thing in order to hunt down Vincent if he learned the truth too soon. Confronting Vincent or even Charles this early would only result in the boy's death.

 _Besides, the boy's Geass hasn't even BEGUN to properly grow and mature yet, though with the way he's using it, that may start to change soon_ , C.C. noted to herself as she looked back up at the ceiling. "Even so... it's probably best to simply let him gain full mastery over his Geass before I tell him anything about Vincent and Ragnarok. At least that way he'll stand half a chance at surviving if he decides to pursue Vincent," she said to herself before she glanced back down at Cheese-Kun.

* * *

 **The Viceroy's Palace, Tokyo Concession, Area 11, Friday Afternoon, November 03, 2017 ATB**

Looking over the latest report that had been sent her way on the Lancelot, Euphemia reclined in her chair. According to Lloyd Asplund's projections and available data, the Knightmare and its weapon systems would all be ready for proper field testing by the end of November. Looking at the names of the personnel involved in the project, Euphemia soon noticed one that seemed familiar.

"Wait a minute... that can't be right," she muttered to herself as she read Suzaku Kururugi's name on the list as the test pilot. She quickly accessed the personnel database through her computer and pulled up Suzaku's file. The boy was ranked as a Private in the Foreign Legion, having been enlisted for the past four years. Euphemia raised an eyebrow at this information. Suzaku was also listed as being part of the Camelot Team, which meant he was also under Prince Schneizel's purview, and thus operated outside or normal military regulations.

However... even if Camelot operated outside of normal regulations, there were still certain requirements that needed to be met. After all, according to the data from Lloyd, Suzaku was the only pilot capable of handling the Lancelot properly. Therefore, it was highly unlikely that anyone else would be able to operate it in the field if the machine was needed. If Suzaku was going to operate the machine out in the field, then he needed to have a proper Knight title or at least a Knight-In-Training Permit, and _that_ required attending and then graduating from a primary schooling system.

 _Of course, given what these records show, the boy should have been promoted at least TWICE by now, considering the actions he's taken and performed for both Camelot AND the Foreign Legion_ , Euphemia thought to herself as she read the list of accomplishments for Suzaku. _I can't promote him too high up, but he's earned a promotion by this point_ , she mentally added. _After all, if he gets called to pilot the Lancelot in the field, he'll need to have a suitable rank_.

Searching for the E-Mail address of Lloyd Asplund, Euphemia began typing up a request form and attaching several other documents that would need to be read and signed. After ten minutes of work, she sent the E-Mail to Lloyd's account and grabbed the built-in desk phone to call the main testing facility. " _Hello, thank you for calling the Testing Site for the Area Eleven Camelot Team_ ," a receptionist said over the phone. "Hello, this is the new Viceroy of Area Eleven, please patch me through to Earl Lloyd Asplund," Euphemia requested into the phone.

" _Right away, Viceroy... uh, name?_ " the receptionist asked. "Britannia. Li Britannia," Euphemia said. " _Oh, of course! My humblest apologies, Your High-_ " "Just Viceroy, please," Euphemia interjected. " _Sorry. I'll transfer your call to Lloyd's office line right away_ ," the receptionist said.

Euphemia nodded her head and rolled her eyes as she waited. Soon, she heard the sound of the line picking up, followed by the cheery male voice of Lloyd Asplund. " _Helllloooo! You've reached the eccentric genius hotline! How may I be of assistance?_ " Lloyd asked in an overly cheerful manner through the phone.

"Hello, Earl Asplund, this is the Viceroy of Area Eleven. I need to speak with you about an important matter regarding your test pilot, Private Kururugi," Euphemia said. " _Oh, don't tell me you're taking him away from me! Please, he's the only pilot who can handle my baby without sustaining serious injury or dying!_ " Lloyd exclaimed shamelessly.

"D-Dying?" Euphemia asked him curiously as she raised an eyebrow at his words. " _Well, you know... he gets injured and heals enough to get back in the machine without any problems! He couldn't do that if he died, could he? Of course not!_ " Lloyd replied with a tone that immediately set off warning bells in Euphemia's head. She used her access codes to view the various safety records of the Camelot Team under Lloyd's supervision, her eyes soon widening as she saw the horrendous safety record.

 _I knew that most of the other test pilots had sustained injuries from not being able to control Asplund's machines properly, but... but... Maybe Zero isn't the_ _ **only**_ _person I should have being investigated right now_ , Euphemia thought to herself darkly. "Earl Asplund, I am not taking Private Kururugi away from you... _permanently_ , but it _has_ come to my attention that certain requirements for his status as a pilot have not been met properly. I have already sent the necessary documents to you via E-Mail. I expect them to be read and signed by both yourself and Private Kururugi before being returned to me by tomorrow evening," she said sternly.

" _Oh? Please elaborate for me_ ," Lloyd requested. Ignoring the man's lack of proper formalities, Euphemia began listing off the various requirements for Suzaku as a pilot and potential Knight or Knight-In-Training. " _Uh-huh. I see. Very well. I shall have Suzaku and myself view and sign these documents before sending them back your way. Tell me, do you want E-Mails, fax, or paper?_ " Lloyd asked Euphemia over the phone.

"E-Mail or fax will both do fine, but please take heed of the time limit," Euphemia replied. "And do remember to read the fine print," she added. " _Of course, Viceroy. I'll get started on the paperwork right away. Good bye_ ," Lloyd replied before hanging up the phone. Placing the desk phone back in its holder, Euphemia leaned back in her chair and sighed before running a hand through her hair.

"Well, you volunteered for the job, Euphie," she said to herself. "You've got no one to blame but yourself. [Sigh] I really should have listened to Darlton and waited for Cornelia to finish up in Area Eighteen before coming here," she added tiredly.

* * *

 **Meanwhile, In The JLF HQ Bunker In Narita...**

Lieutenant Colonel Kyoshiro Tohdoh marched through the corridors of the JLF base with Nagisa Chiba in tow. The short-haired woman was one of his Four Holy Swords and his most trusted subordinate. The walk through the corridors was mostly silent, at least until Chiba spoke up.

"You seem... pensive, Tohdoh," Chiba noted. Tohdoh glanced at her in response before nodding his head. "Do you wish to share your thoughts?" she asked him politely.

"I fear that Kusakabe may announce a plan to strike at Britannia in the open," Tohdoh said quietly. Chiba looked at him curiously.

"Why do you fear that?" she asked him.

"Because we have not yet heard from Kyoto House regarding their efforts to establish contact with Zero," Tohdoh said.

"It has only been a week since that decision was made, hasn't it? Certainly Kusakabe would understand that more time is needed for anyone to establish contact with someone as elusive as this Zero person, right?" Chiba asked him.

"Yes, but I fear that Kusakabe is growing impatient and reckless," he explained with a heavy sigh. "I believe the high probability of Zero not being Japanese may play a part in his desire to act without anyone contacting Zero to learn more about him," Tohdoh added with a frown.

"Do you believe that is why he called you here today? Do you believe he is going to ask your approval for a strike plan?" Chiba asked Tohdoh. Tohdoh nodded his head in confirmation.

"Unfortunately, yes. However, I have no intention of agreeing to any such plan until we have heard from Kyoto House," Tohdoh added. Chiba nodded her head in understanding.

As soon as the duo reached the door to one of the main strategy rooms, Tohdoh pressed a button for it to slide open, ushering Chiba inside first. Closing the door behind him, Tohdoh noticed Kusakabe pointing a finger to a spot on a map, with a representative from one of the Kyoto Houses nodding his head.

Kusakabe looked up and nodded his head at Tohdoh. "Tohdoh, you're just in time. This is gentleman is from Kirihara's estate, and he will be helping us deliver some supplies to the Blood Of The Samurai," Kusakabe explained. Tohdoh nodded his head curtly in understanding.

"What sort of supplies do they need?" Tohdoh asked.

"They're going to need some Burai units and some explosives. They also need more ammunition for their regular arms, in addition to standard rations," the Kyoto House liaison said. Tohdoh nodded his head in understanding until something occurred to him.

"I see, but why the need for explosives and Burai units? Have the ones they have begun to break down?" Tohdoh asked curiously.

"No, it's a matter of fortifying defenses," the liaison replied. "With Zero causing an increase in Britannian patrol activity, various resistance groups have begun to fear that Britannia will begin searching for them much more actively. The Blood Of The Samurai believe that their discovery is almost inevitable now that Britannia is actively hunting for Zero," the liason elaborated.

"They want the increase in Burai units and ammunition so that if Britannia _does_ discover their HQ, they can defend themselves properly until help arrives or they're able to sneak their most valuable personnel and resources out of harms way," the liaison added.

"Tohdoh," Kusakabe began. "We need to let our allies know that they can still depend on us to lend them aid in times of need. Otherwise, how can we be the shining beacon that will free Japan and lead our people into prosperity once more?"

Tohdoh let out a subtle sigh as he nodded in response to Kusakabe's words. Still, something about the movement of supplies seemed a little bit off to him, but given the liaison's explanation regarding Britannia's increased patrols in their hunt for Zero, he decided not to argue. "Very well. Let me see the numbers," Tohdoh requested.

* * *

 **Ashford Academy, Area 11, Monday Morning, November 06, 2017 ATB**

Sitting at his desk in Mr. Wellington's classroom, Lelouch rested his head on the flat wooden surface while listening to the sounds of the other students filing into the room. His attempts at trying to get the Black Knights to explore their new HQ had proven to be less than successful, as none of them, save Kallen and C.C., had been able to get free time over the weekend. Ohgi had been called in to his day job to fill in for a co-worker who had gotten sick, Inoue had been scheduled to switch places with a co-worker at her place of employment weeks in advance and had almost forgotten about it until being reminded via phone call from her employer, Tamaki had gotten sick from something he'd eaten on Friday, and the others had simply been unable to request time off at their jobs.

Recruitment efforts for the Black Knights had also been rather abysmal, even with the release of the Project R files and the video message. Only a handful of new people had joined their ranks, and now the Black Knights numbers had grown to a paltry fifteen from ten, since Lelouch counted Sayoko as a Black Knight, despite her lack of involvement in their activities. _Maybe I need to get more involved in the planning stages of these things instead of leaving them up to other people_ , Lelouch thought bitterly to himself.

He was shaken from his thoughts when he felt a hand on his right shoulder. "Hey, Bud," Rivalz said with a bright smile. "Wake up, man," Rivalz added jovially as he sat down near Lelouch. Lelouch raised his head and looked at Rivalz with a tired expression.

"So, did Milly tell you about the new student yet?" Rivalz asked Lelouch, causing the latter to raise an eyebrow. Scratching his head, Lelouch tried to think back to his conversation with Milly earlier that morning, only to come up empty. Lelouch then shook his head at Rivalz. "Really? Huh, I thought she would've told ya. I mean, she told _me_ ," Rivalz said curiously.

"Well, what all did she tell you about the new kid?" Lelouch asked his friend in a rather bored tone.

"Um... well, not much, actually. She just said that it was a guy and he would be starting with us today," Rivalz said. "That's about it," he added with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Fascinating," Lelouch said drolly as he noticed C.C. entering the class room and quietly taking her seat near the door.

After the rest of the class had filled their seats, leaving only a handful empty, Mr. Wellington entered the room and cleared his throat. "All right, students. Today, we have yet another new appendage to our student body joining us," Wellington announced.

He then glanced over to the open doorway of the room and gestured for someone to step into the room. Lelouch looked over at the doorway as the new student entered the room, only for his eyes to widen in recognition. _H-He... he's alive_ , Lelouch thought to himself in astonishment as Suzaku Kururugi stepped into the room.

Suzaku walked over to the front center of the room and looked around at the other students, his eyes locking onto those of Lelouch briefly, before offering a curt bow to everyone. "Hello, my name is Suzaku Kururugi and I'll be attending Ashford Academy from here on out. Um... I guess I'll just, uh, find a seat and wait for the period to start," Suzaku said with a hint of nervousness in his voice as he scanned the room, seeing the bewildered and skeptical expressions on the faces of the other students.

" _What's an Eleven doing here?_ " one student asked in a whisper to a fellow classmate. " _Do you think he's dangerous?_ " another student asked in a whisper. Suzaku ignored the stares and whispered words around him as he made his way over to an empty seat near the back, glancing over at Lelouch, who subtly tugged at the collar of his uniform. Suzaku recognized the code for what it was and curtly tilted his head ever so slightly to convey his understanding of the message to Lelouch.

Meanwhile, the whispering of the other students continued throughout the room. Several students eyed Suzaku warily, while others just ignored him. Rivalz glanced back over his shoulder the boy before looking over at Lelouch. "So... I guess that's why Milly didn't say much," Rivalz commented.

Lelouch slowly nodded his head in agreement. "Can't wait to see Nina's reaction, though," Rivalz added with a knowing expression on his face. Lelouch raised an eyebrow before he remembered Nina's xenophobia. He then slowly shook his head as numerous horrible possibilities ran through his head.

"Yup. That's gonna be quite the sight," Rivalz said, nodding his head in agreement. "He seems friendly, though. Hey, maybe if we invite him to join the Student Council, it might help Nina get over her problems," Rivalz suggested quietly.

Lelouch raised an eyebrow as he thought about his friend's words. Sure, Rivalz' heart was in the right place, but... the boy clearly didn't understand the complex nature of deep-rooted xenophobia. He was far too sheltered. Again, though, his heart was in the right place.

As the first period bell soon rang, everyone forced themselves to focus their attention on the class lesson. Forty-five minutes later, when the class was over, Lelouch decided to hang back and wait for the others to leave the classroom, noticing Suzaku doing the same thing. Rivalz also noticed Lelouch dawdling. "Hey, come on, Lelouch! We're gonna be late for the next class if we take too long! It's on the other side of the building, after all," Rivalz said.

"You go on ahead," Lelouch said to him. "I'll catch up to ya," he added. Rivalz looked at Lelouch curiously before glancing over at Suzaku. He then nodded his head and turned around, walking out of the room. Lelouch gathered his things ans walked over to Suzaku, who was gathering the few supplies he had.

"Don't let them get to you," Lelouch said to Suzaku in an almost casual manner. "Roof top, lunch time," he then added quietly, but just loud enough for Suzaku to hear him. Suzaku nodded his head in understanding before following Lelouch out the door, glancing down at the schedule sheet in his hands along with the school map as he made his way to the next class.

The hallways were filled with other students, many of whom didn't know what to make of the Honorary Britannian now in their midst. Some of them sent glares his way, while others simply avoided him. A few of them just ignored him and continued their trek to the next class, while others could be heard gossiping as he passed them. Suzaku forced himself to ignore them all as he followed the map to his next destination.

Upon reaching the class room for second period, Suzaku soon heard a familiar voice emanating from a desk near a corner. "Suzaku!" Shirley Fenette said happily as she bounded over to the boy. "What are _you_ doing here!?" she asked him with a smile.

"Well... I was given orders to attend school by the Viceroy," Suzaku explained quietly. Shirley blinked in response.

"Really? How come?" she asked him curiously.

"Um, apparently I need to meet certain educational requirements to keep my license and status as a pilot, and... gain the title of Knight," Suzaku said. Shirley's eyes widened in response. "I've been recently given the title of Knight-in-Training until I graduate," he added.

" _Oh_ ," Shirley whispered in awe. "So... are you being replaced as a test pilot then?" she asked Suzaku quietly. Suzaku shook his head in the negative.

"No. I'm allowed to keep test piloting, but the Viceroy has made it clear that I need to meet the educational requirements to receive the title of Knight in the future in order to maintain my status as a pilot in general," Suzaku explained. Shirley nodded her head slowly in understanding.

"Wow, that means you'll gain the title of Knight!" she whispered happily. "Suzaku, do you know how much of an honor that is?" she asked him with wide eyes. He nodded his head in response.

"Well, way to go, Private!" Shirley said in a congratulatory manner as she put a hand on Suzaku's shoulder. Suzaku smiled bashfully before looking away in slight embarrassment.

"Actually... it's _Sergeant_ now," he corrected her sheepishly. Shirley's mouth dropped slightly.

"You got promoted too!? Well, good for you!" she congratulated him, ignoring the stares of the other students in the room.

"Um... thanks," Suzaku said with a smile and a very faint blush on his cheeks.

"You, know this also means we'll get to hang out together more often," Shirley said with a smile. Suzaku looked at Shirley in surprise. While a part of him was hesitant and nervous, another part of him was eager and overjoyed at the prospect of being able to spend more time with someone who was friendly toward him.

"That... that sounds nice," Suzaku said with a smile. "In fact... I'm looking forward to it," he added confidently. Shirley nodded her head in return.

 **The Roof of Ashford Academy, A Couple Hours Later...**

Upon reaching the roof top, Suzaku looked around for signs of Lelouch. He didn't see anyone near the guard rails of the building as he stepped forward. "Lelouch?" he called out as he scanned the area in front of him.

As he slowly turned around, he saw his friend standing next to the rooftop door. Lelouch looked at Suzaku pointedly as he slowly marched over to him, before stopping just a foot away. After a minute of staring at Suzaku's face, Lelouch extended his arms and smiled as he pulled Suzaku into a hug.

Suzaku's eyes widened in shock as Lelouch hugged him, before the raven-haired boy eventually let go and stepped back from him. "This whole time, I thought you were _dead_ ," Lelouch said with relief in his voice. Suzaku could see tears forming around Lelouch's eyes.

"No. Not yet, at least," Suzaku replied with a smirk. Lelouch closed his eyes and slowly shook his head as he let out a chuckle. "What? Did you really think I would die so easily?" Suzaku asked him with a snort.

"How did you survive? I saw you get shot," Lelouch asked Suzaku.

"Do you remember that old stopwatch my father had? That gold one that he would always wind up? It was round and shiny. Remember it?" Suzaku asked Lelouch.

"Yeah. Yeah, I remember that thing," Lelouch said thoughtfully.

"Well, I always carry it with me. A combination of the dense fabric of my combat fatigues and the stopwatch slowed down the bullet," Suzaku explained. Lelouch nodded his head in understanding.

"But what about you?" Suzaku then asked Lelouch. "How did you get out of the ghetto?" he continued.

"Luck," Lelouch replied. "It was luck. Pure luck," he reiterated firmly. Suzaku may have been his friend, but he was also in the military, and he had no idea just how much he could trust the guy to keep his mouth shut if he were to tell him the truth. He wanted to trust Suzaku, he really did, but he had to know where Suzaku's loyalties truly lied before he could tell him anything about Zero or Geass.

"Oh," Suzaku said. "So, what about the girl? Cee-Two, right? I saw her in the first period class room this morning. What's her story?" Suzaku asked him.

"Well, as you could clearly tell, she got out with me," Lelouch replied.

"Yeah, but... she was wearing a Britannian straitjacket when I found you guys in the ghetto," Suzaku said. "So, come on, what's her story?" he asked Lelouch again.

"Do you _really_ want to know?" Lelouch asked Suzaku in return. Suzaku nodded his head in response. Lelouch then sighed, having dreaded the possibility of this conversation taking place.

"Listen, Suzaku, I need you to promise me that you won't turn her in to the authorities," Lelouch requested. Suzaku raised an eyebrow and tilted his head at Lelouch in response.

"What do you mean? Why would I turn her... wait a minute... is she related to that canister?" Suzaku asked him. Lelouch looked at Suzaku incredulously.

"Of course she's related to the canister!" Lelouch hissed. "She was _in_ the canister! Haven't you read those documents that were leaked onto the internet?" Lelouch asked Suzaku.

Suzaku shook his head in response, causing Lelouch to roll his eyes before letting out a frustrated sigh as he shook his head in dismay. "Look, ever since we escaped Shinjuku, she's been in hiding here at the school, using an alias and posing as an exchange student," Lelouch explained.

"Suzaku, you can _not_ tell anyone about her, or she'll get captured again and experimented upon. She was illegally experimented on by Clovis and Bartley for who knows how long and now she's finally _free_ , Suzaku," Lelouch insisted as he grabbed Suzaku by the shoulders with a tight grip. "Do you _understand me!?_ " Lelouch asked him with a glare. Suzaku looked at Lelouch with wide eyes before nodding his head slowly in agreement and understanding.

"Y-Yeah. Don't, uh, don't worry," Suzaku said with a gulp. Lelouch slowly loosened his grip on Suzaku's shoulders before inhaling and exhaling slowly in relief.

"Okay," Lelouch said, slowly nodding his head before taking a deep breath. "So... how are things going for you?" he then asked Suzaku. Suzaku blinked a couple of times as he recovered from Lelouch's outburst before processing the question.

"Um, well... things are going okay, I guess," Suzaku finally said with a shrug. "I never thought I'd actually get to go to a normal school with other people my age before now," he added. Lelouch nodded his head in understanding.

"Yeah, about that... just why are you attending Ashford anyway? I mean, I'm glad to have you here and all, but... with the Purebloods in charge of the Area's government, this doesn't seem like the kind of thing that would be allowed to happen, especially with you being in the military," Lelouch said with a curious expression on his face.

"Well, the Viceroy said that I need to attend and graduate high school in order to keep my license as a Knightmare pilot and attain the title of Knight, even though I'm really just a test pilot. But, hey, the Viceroy's orders are the Viceroy's orders, so here I am," Suzaku replied with a shrug.

"Hm, so... who's the new Viceroy anyway?" Lelouch asked Suzaku.

"Sorry, I'm not allowed to say. They want their identity kept secret from the public for the time being, what with Zero running around and all," Suzaku replied. Lelouch nodded his head in understanding.

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense," Lelouch said. "I can understand someone important not wanting people to know their identity," he added wryly with a smirk. Suzaku nodded his head in agreement.

"So, how's Nunnally doing?" Suzaku suddenly asked, causing Lelouch to blink at Suzaku in surprise. Suzaku smirked at Lelouch's response, taking delight in the fact that he had managed to catch the chess master off guard for once. "Well? How's she doing here at Ashford?" he asked Lelouch again.

"How do you know she's alive?" Lelouch asked him curiously with furrowed brows. Suzaku let out a soft snort before shaking his head in response.

"I've actually known about your presence at Ashford for a while now, Lelouch. Since at least October, in fact," Suzaku added, smirking as he watched Lelouch's eyes widen in shock before they narrowed at him suspiciously.

"But... how? How would you know _anything_ about me or Nunnally being here at Ashford in the first place?" Lelouch asked him suspiciously.

"Oh... Shirley," Suzaku replied smugly. It wasn't often that he found himself being in control of a situation and holding all of the cards, especially when Lelouch was involved. He planned to enjoy this occasion as much as possible.

"Shirley? You mean Shirley Fenette?" Lelouch asked him, for clarification. Suzaku nodded his head in confirmation. "But... you only just met her today, didn't you?" Lelouch asked his friend.

Suzaku shook his head. "No, I've known Shirley for a couple of months now. We met at a sub shop a while back in late September," Suzaku explained. Lelouch slowly nodded his head in understanding as he absorbed the information.

"Huh. I haven't heard her mention anything about you," Lelouch said. _Then again, I haven't exactly made it a point to go around asking Shirley about her friends outside of the Student Council_ , Lelouch mentally noted. _Actually, I don't think I spend much time talking to her outside of the Student Council anyway_.

"Well, we only hang out every now and then. Although, given that I'm attending Ashford now, I guess I'll be seeing a lot more of her," Suzaku said with a smile. Lelouch noticed this and raised an eyebrow.

"Well then, I guess Shirley has informed you that everyone needs to join a club at Ashford?" Lelouch asked Suzaku. Suzaku's smile faltered and he nodded his head.

"Yeah, but I'm just not sure if anyone's gonna accept me," Suzaku said solemnly. "Do you know any clubs that would tolerate having an Honorary Britannian?" he then asked Lelouch.

"Well... I'll see what I can find out. Meet me in the club house after the final period is over and I'll introduce you to the Student Council. We'll work something out," Lelouch said reassuringly as he placed his right hand on Suzaku's left shoulder. "Besides, Nunnally's an honorary member of the council, and I'm sure she'll be ecstatic to see you again," he added with a warm smile.

Suzaku smiled back and nodded his head in agreement. "Yeah, anyway, how's she doing? You still didn't answer my question from earlier," Suzaku pointed out. Lelouch rolled his eyes as he removed his hand from Suzaku's shoulder.

"How about you ask her yourself this afternoon? As I said, she's an honorary member of the Student Council. She'll be there," Lelouch said.

 **The Student Council Club Room, Later That Day...**

Sitting at the main table in the club room, most of the Student Council were busy looking over a budget report that Nina had printed out the previous evening. Everyone was there, including Nunnally and Sayoko. Kallen looked up from the papers in front of her to glance at the clock on the wall. "Hm, Lelouch is late," she noted before glancing over at an empty chair.

"He said that he needed to take care of something before he could join us," Milly said as she kept her eyes on the budget report. "Anyway, from the looks of things, we're not doing too bad," she added. "We may not be able to make the trip to Lake Kawaguchi by December with the budget being what it is _right now_ , but if we keep check of our spending, then we _should_ have enough money to make the trip sometime in January or maybe February," Milly noted, just before the sound of the doors opening caught everyone's attention.

Stepping into the club room, Suzaku nodded his head while Lelouch regaled him with a story about one of Milly's parties. "-kicked him right between the legs. And that's how Rivalz learned the dangers of telling women to their faces that he liked looking at their cleavage... while in front of other women... in _public_ ," Lelouch said while shaking his head. Suzaku snickered in response as he imagined the pained expression Rivalz must have had after getting kicked in the balls. Compared to all of the pain and suffering he had gone through as a test pilot, getting kicked in the nads, while definitely painful, was not as horrible as he used to think. Then again, he hadn't been injured in that particular region of his body for a very long time.

As the two boys stood in the doorway, a gasp could be heard from the middle of the room, drawing Suzaku's attention to the large table where the student council members were sitting, including Nunnally and Sayoko. "S-Suzaku!?" Nunnally asked in disbelief as she wheeled herself over to the boy. Still sitting at the table, Shirley smiled at Suzaku, although his attention was already drawn to the girl in the wheelchair.

"Nunnally!" Suzaku replied with a smile as he walked over and hand his hand out. Nunnally took his hand and shook it with a smile. "How have you been holding up all these years?" Suzaku asked her.

"I've been doing okay. But what about _you?_ I never thought I'd see you again," Nunnally replied excitedly as she looked him over. "You've gotten taller, but you've still got some baby fat in your cheeks," she noted. Suzaku rolled his eyes in response.

"Seriously?" Lelouch asked her with a slight frown. "This is the first time you've seen Suzaku in how many years, and the first thing you do is make fun of him?" Lelouch asked her in a reprimanding tone. Suzaku playfully rolled his eyes at Lelouch.

Nunnally shook her head in response, while over at the table everyone chuckled. "See what I have to put up with, Suzaku? Lelouch has no sense of humor at all," Nunnally said with a smirk on her face. "Will you be my new big brother!?" she then asked him playfully while clasping her hands together and batting her eyes at him while forming a hopeful smile on her face.

Lelouch's jaw dropped and he looked at Nunnally in disbelief, while Suzaku found himself snickering. "Sorry, Nunnally. I'm afraid you're stuck with him," Suzaku replied. Nunnally fake-pouted in response.

Lelouch rolled his eyes at the duo before looking over at Milly. "Madam President, there's a reason I brought Suzaku here today," Lelouch said. Milly nodded her head knowingly.

"You can't find a club for him to join?" Milly asked him knowingly. Lelouch let out a quiet sigh before shaking his head in response. Milly slowly let out a sigh before standing up and walking over to Suzaku.

"Well, it would seem that you're in a bit of a predicament, Mister Kururugi," Milly said as she looked him up and down. "It is _mandatory_ for all students at Ashford Academy to join a club as part of the curriculum. Since it seems that you have been finding it difficult to join any clubs, I suppose I should take matters into my own hands," she said thoughtfully.

Lelouch opened his mouth to speak, but Milly cut him off. "I think the easiest way to do this would be to make you part of the Student Council. We can always use more paper pushers to make the work go faster," Milly said with a smirk.

"Uh... sure. Whatever you want me to do," Suzaku said with a shrug. He didn't want to cause any problems or make a fuss, especially on his first day at Ashford. Milly's smirk then turned into a cat-like grin, and Suzaku raised an eyebrow.

"Good! I hereby induct you into our Student Council, although I may need to have you fill out some forms to make sure that it's all processed in the school network. It never hurts to be prepared, you know?" Milly said with a smile.

"Huh," Lelouch said. "That was a lot easier than I thought it would be," he quietly added as he walked over and sat down next to Kallen. Kallen glanced at him before returning her attention to a section of the budget report that focused on the Equestrian Club.

"Lelouch! How dare you just sit down without offering a seat to our newest council member!" Milly reprimanded. Lelouch looked over at Milly to see her standing with her arms crossed and tapping her left foot on the floor while a frown marred her face. He quickly stood up and walked over to grab a chair from another table nearby before placing it next to his own.

"Suzaku, won't you please have a seat?" Lelouch offered to his friend. Suzaku, having been bewildered by Milly's outburst, quickly nodded his head and sat down. Lelouch then sat down himself, while Milly shook her head before returning to her own seat as Nunnally wheeled herself over to her original spot at the table.

* * *

 **Ashford Academy, Wednesday, November 08, 2017 ATB**

Standing in an auditorium with all of his fellow students, Lelouch noticed Kallen standing not too far away while C.C. was several students ahead of him. A large screen had been set up for everyone to see, and attendance had been made mandatory. As soon as the last of the school's students had filed into the large room, the lights dimmed slightly and the screen came on, showing a news channel.

A female newscaster was reporting on the funeral of Prince Clovis being held in Pendragon, with video feed on the screen showing a large crowd before zooming in on a casket in front of a podium where several members of the royal family could be seen. Lelouch recognized most of them, including Princess Marybell mel Britannia, Princess Julia mel Britannia, First Princess Guinevere de Britannia, Crown Prince Odysseus eu Britannia, Prime Minister Prince Schneizel el Britannia, Clovis's younger sister Laila la Britannia, Princess Carine ne Britannia, the mothers of said offspring, and the Emperor himself, Charles zi Britannia.

The podium was located in a large arena with hundreds of spectators and members of the nobility observing from either stands or lining the walls. Clovis's casket was closed, but given how he had a gaping hole the size of a golf ball in the back of his head, that was probably a deliberate choice. Multiple camera crews could be seen in the background behind the Royal Family

" _And now, His Royal Majesty, the 98th Emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire_ ," the newscaster said as the Emperor approached the podium and cleared his throat before speaking into the microphone. He looked around the arena as he prepared his speech.

" _All men, are not created equal. Some are born swifter of foot, some with greater beauty, some are born into poverty, and others born sick and feeble. Both in birthland and upbringing, in sheer scope of ability every human is inherently different. Yes, that is why people discriminate against one another, which is why there is struggle, competition, and the unfaltering march of progress_ ," the Emperor said into the microphone.

" _Inequality, is not wrong, equality is! What of the EU, which made equality a right, rabble politics by a popularity contest!? The Chinese Federation, with its equal distribution of wealth, is a nation of_ _ **lazy dullards**_ _! But not our beloved Britannia! No, we fight! We compete, and our evolution is continuous!_ " the Emperor continued.

Lelouch rolled his eyes at his father's words. _And he makes this kind of speech at the_ _ **funeral**_ _of one of his own children? I really shouldn't have expected anything different_ , Lelouch thought to himself bitterly. _The man is still as heartless as ever_ , he mentally added. _Plus, I'd bet anything that Charles Darwin is probably spinning in his grave right now with how my father uses the term evolution in such a bizarre context_ , Lelouch added.

" _Britannia alone moves forward, advancing steadily into the future. Even the death of my son Clovis demonstrates Britannia's unswerving commitment to progress_ ," Charles zi Britannia continued, the crowds captivated by his words.

" _We will fight on. We shall struggle, compete, plunder, and dominate. And in the end, the future shall be ours. All Hail Britannia!_ "

" _ **ALL HAIL BRITANNIA!**_ "

" _ **ALL HAIL BRITANNIA!**_ "

" _ **ALL HAIL BRITANNIA!**_ "

" _ **ALL HAIL BRITANNIA!**_ "

" _ **ALL HAIL BRITANNIA!**_ "

The chants echoed through the crowds. Meanwhile, in the auditorium, C.C. narrowed her eyes and balled her hands into fists. _Charlie... how can you say that with such a straight face? Do you really believe the words coming out of your mouth? How much is an act, and how much is real?_

* * *

 **ENDING THEME:** _ **One Vision**_ **, by Queen**

* * *

 **PREVIEW OF NEXT TIME**

Next time on _Two Steps Forward, One Step Backward_ , Zero and the Black Knights launch a surprise attack on a Britannian outpost in order to steal supplies. However, unknown to them, a fellow resistance group, called the Blood of the Samurai, is also launching an attack on the same outpost. Can the Black Knights and the Blood of the Samurai work together, or will Zero find himself becoming the enemy of both Britannia _and_ the rest of the Japanese resistance as well?

* * *

Author's Notes: And that was Chapter 10! Okay, after this chapter, I'm going to be resuming work on the final chapters of _EVANGELION: REWIRED_ , meaning that updates for _Two Steps Forward, One Step Backward_ will be spaced out to just once or twice a month until I am completely finished with _Evangelion_. After that, updates for Code Geass will be at a faster pace, although still with at least a week minimum between chapters.

Also, with the holiday season coming up, the grocery store where I work has experienced a huge increase in human traffic. Since I work in the dairy department by myself in the afternoon, I am constantly running back and forth between the shopping floor and the dairy coolers in an effort to both get product onto shelves and deal with customers. The stress from keeping up with everything has made writing more of a task than usual since I'm usually too tired to do anything after getting home, which is why my updates have been taking so long to get out recently.

With Thanksgiving finally over, things have begun to calm down a bit, but with Christmas and New Year still ahead, this respite is going to be rather short, and until the holiday season is over, any updates to any stories during the next month are going to be sporadic at best.

Now, to get something out of the way, _YES_ , Suzaku does have suspicions about C.C. and the possibility of her being Zero. However, he has absolutely no proof to work with, and so it is merely that, a suspicion. Because he is willing to obey Lelouch's request, he will not be informing Euphemia or anyone else about C.C. and how he had seen her in Shinjuku. At least not yet.

Also, yes, Suzaku still killed his father in this version of the story, and it is a major source of guilt and inner conflict for him. I just won't be touching upon it in a direct manner at the moment because I think for this guilt to have an impact, we need to see Suzaku enjoying himself and life in general first. And despite how some people may find it weird or far fetched that I'm pairing Suzaku with Shirley, I'm sticking to my guns on this.

Also, in reference to the Emperor's speech... ZEKE ZEON! ;)

I, Anguirus1955, command you... to let me know what you think of the chapter and/or the story so far in your reviews!


End file.
